Everything Has Changed
by Riana Salvatore
Summary: Taylor is a big fan of the Vampire Diaries. Once day she and her friend Ashley are sucked into the computer and she becomes Taylor Gilbert. Now she has to worry about being in love with a vampire, being the doppelganger to a German vampire, and her best friend dating her brother, while gradually becoming a character herself. Taylor/Stefan Jeremy/Ashley
1. Chapter 1

My name is Taylor. I'm 17 and a huge fan of _The Vampire Diaries._ Every Thursday night, my friend Ashley who is a year younger than me comes over and we watch the show together. I was currently waiting for her to arrive so we could eat before we watch.

It didn't take long for her to arrive. She threw off her shoes and smiled at me. It's not hard to see why Taylor loves vampires. She's a Goth. Well she's not one of those jet-black hair, "I hate the world." Goths, but she definitely dresses in all black and uses _generous _amounts of makeup. Nevertheless, she's my best friend.

We sat in front of the TV as we prepared to watch the latest episode which was called "American Gothic".

"You know I love Rebekah so much." I commented. She and Elena were currently partners in crime, looking for the cure. "She's a kickass female vampire that is still a deep character. I mean she's like Anna, but she gets in a lot more fights."

"I miss Anna." Ashley declared.

"I miss Jeremy." I admitted. "I mean I don't understand why they had to kill him, and also why did they need this whole cure thing? You know it's probably just going to be used on Silas and Elena is going to stay human."

"Rebekah's not going to get it because they already have enough witches on _The Originals._" Ashley agreed. "So, tell me are you excited for the new show."

"To be honest, I'm more interested in the old characters." I admitted. "Hey look, it's Katherine. Look Rebekah just broke her hand. I used to really like her, but killing Jeremy crossed the line."

"Yeah, and we don't get to Steven's shirtless body on the screen anymore." Ashley added. "What I wouldn't give to run hands over those muscles."

"You know in real-life he's 24." I pointed out. "He's older than Nina."

"So, Paul Wesley is 30 and married to the girl that plays Meredith." Ashley reminded me.

"Speaking of Meredith, I wish that they hadn't gotten rid of her from the books." I responded. "I mean I know there's Caroline, but a high-school student who is secretly a vampire hunter, that would have been cool."

"God, Elena without humanity is such a bitch." Ashley commented. "I don't know why they had to ruin her character so much. The sire bond has been a complete disaster. I know that they needed new villains, but Buffy hadn't it so much more smoothly."

"I'll take your word for it." I replied. I was never a fan of Buffy. We didn't get HBO, so I couldn't see _True Blood_ and my parents wouldn't let me buy the DVDs. From what I heard there is a lot of sex in it. At least this show is a lot more subtle and doesn't have them screwing every episode.

The episode ended and we got a preview for the next episode. It was the prom episode. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be airing for 3 weeks. That meant that we had to go two weeks with shows.

"Damn, what are we going to do for two weeks without this show?" Ashley asked.

"I have an idea." I suggested. I took her to my computer. I didn't have a laptop, so we had to stick to a desktop. I opened my Netflix account and selected the show. "How about we go back to the pilot? I haven't seen that in a while."

"Okay, sounds good to me." Ashley agreed as she pulled up a chair next to me.

I selected the pilot. As I was doing this, a bolt of lightning struck the power line. Instead of putting the power out, something weird happened. I felt as if we were being pulled into the screen. It turned out that we were being pulled into the screen. We were being pulled into the screen. The two of us screamed before we were no longer in the living room. Everything was black.

So I decided to do one of these. In case you can't tell, Taylor is played by Jennifer Lawrence and Ashley is played by Taylor Momsen. Next chapter has the girls in Mystic Falls and they'll find out how much the world has changed now that they're in it. Please don't forget to review


	2. Pilot

I woke in a bed. I just had the craziest dream. I was sucked into a computer.

"Taylor, you need to get up." A voice told me. It sounded a lot like Nina Dobrev. Was I hearing things now? I looked to mess dresser and found a picture. I almost dropped it upon seeing it. It was the picture that Elena had in her room of her and her parents, but I was in it. I then noticed, Nina…no Elena walk into my room. What was going on?

"Elena?" I asked, still a bit shocked from seeing her face in front of me.

"Yes, it's me, Sis." She replied.

"I'm your sister?" I responded. I probably sounded really dumb to her.

"Yes, you're my sister." Elena said. "Sometimes you act like a natural blonde."

I am a natural blonde.

"Come on. Get ready. Bonnie's going to be here soon." She told me before she noticed the picture in my hands. "I miss them too, but we need to stop being depressed about it."

Elena let the room and I got dressed in a short-sleeved white blouse and blue skirt with a red belt. Okay, it was more 4th of July than first day of school, but I was kind of distracted by the fact that I was apparently a Gilbert. I went downstairs and there was Jenna and Jeremy. Both of them were alive. I was confused, but happy.

Ashley's POV

I woke up in a bed. Had I fallen asleep at Taylor's house? I looked around and saw that it didn't look like Taylor's house. I definitely didn't look like my house. I saw…I don't know her name, but she played Sheriff Forbes walk into my room.

"Good, you're up." She told me. I was confused. "You need to get ready for school. It's the first day."

What? It was March. How could it be the first day of school? Then Caroline walked into the room.

"Time to get out of bed, sis." She remarked. "It's time to start a new year. Make sure not wear one of those all black outfits. You look good when you colors. I rolled my eyes and walked over to my dresser, still wondering how I was in pajamas. All of my clothes were in the dresser. How was that possible? I put on a white tank top with a blue skirt and black hose with a blue tie that I was wearing ironically and black heels, finishing off with a leather jacket. I then applied some eye shadow before I walked into the kitchen.

"Why do you have to look so dark?" Caroline asked. "I'm not embarrassed to call you my sister but you make kind of hard to be seen with you."

I rolled my eyes. Out of all of the characters I could be related to, why did it have to be Caroline? I deduced I was in the pilot because that was the episode we were about to watch and Caroline was undeniably perky. I liked her better when she became a vampire.

"So I hope Elena and Taylor don't decide to skip today." Caroline remarked. "Those two have been through a lot, but I really want to see them."

So, Taylor was here too and was apparently Elena's sister.

Taylor's POV

I was in the backseat of Bonnie's car. She was talking about her psychic stuff. I remember Bonnie was a lot ditsier at the start of the show. I wasn't paying much attention.

"Taylor!" She yelled to get my attention.

"What? So you're a psychic witch?" I asked. Come to think of it, I can't help but wonder why they dropped the psychic part.

"Yes." Bonnie confirmed.

"So predict something." Elena suggested.

"I see…" Bonnie started before something flew in front of the windshield and she swerved. Bonnie and Elena looked back at me. "What was that? Oh my God, Taylor, are you okay?"

Why were they asking me? Wasn't Elena in the car? I was in the car, but I wasn't even supposed to be here.

"I'm fine." I declared. "I can't be afraid of cars. It's going to be okay. I know it sucks, but I'm fine."

"I predict this year will be kickass and no one will be sad anymore." Bonnie replied. Well, she just tempted fate.

"Major lack of male real estate." Bonnie commented after we were in the school. "Check out the shower curtain on Kelly Beach. She looks like a…can I still say tranny mess?"

"No, I think that sounds kind of offensive." I stated.

"So I have to find a man and coin a phrase, busy year." Bonnie commented. I then saw Matt across the hallway, but who's that standing next to him? Is that Liam from _90210? _What was he doing here? He was looking at me, but like Matt looked away.

"They hate us." Elena declared. So Elena was still with Matt, but now I have an ex of my own?

"Matt and Josh don't hate you guys." Bonnie argued. "That look says that they're upset but secretly listening to Evanescence."

Wasn't it supposed to be Air Supply?

Suddenly Caroline showed up and gave both me and Elena hugs. It was then that I noticed Ashley behind her.

"It's so good to see you two." Caroline declared she then turned to Bonnie. This was kind of annoying. "Are they good?"

"Ashley, do you want to come to the bathroom with me?" I asked.

Ashley nodded and we walked away.

"I can't believe that we're here." I declared. "We're actually in Mystic Falls. This is awesome."

"Easy for you to say. I have Caroline for a sister and she's this is the beginning, so she's kind of annoying." Ashley commented. "Wow, look at that."

It was Stefan. I think the only reason she didn't say his name was because she knew he could hear us.

"He looks so hot." I gushed. I was totally fangirling out and I wasn't supposed to be.

Jeremy then walked by, but Elena was nowhere in sight.

"I think I have to deal with this." I told Ashley.

I nervously walked into the bathroom and found my new brother putting eye drops in. I had no idea what Elena said here, so I would have to say what I felt. I really hated Jeremy's druggie phase.

"Unbelievable. School hasn't even started and you're already stoned." I told him.

"No, I'm not." He denied.

"What is it? Weed? Pills? Give it to me." I demanded as I searched his pockets. I was actually pissed, despite not belonging here.

"You need to chill yourself." He told me.

"Chill myself? What does that mean?" I asked as I continued to search him.

"Stop! I don't have anything on me. Are you crazy?" He asked.

"You think this is crazy?" I asked. "I know this summer was hard, but you can't do this. I'm not giving you a drug speech, but I will always be there to destroy your buzz. Look, Jer, you're not this person. You're better than this."

I'm glad I had seen what he was like without drugs. Knowing that he would get better helped, but I still didn't like seeing him like this.

"I don't need this." He said. I then remembered this was when Elena met Stefan. It wasn't supposed to be me. Was I supposed to wait? I couldn't just stand in the men's room. I walked out and sure enough, ran into him, falling over. He helped me up.

"Pardon me." He apologized. I was at a loss for words. I was looking at Stefan Salvatore. "Is this the men's room?"

"Yes…I was just…it's a long story." I babbled. I definitely was flustered. I had a hot vampire in front of me. We seemed to have our wires crossed, before he finally stepped aside.

I went to History. For once Mr. Tanner actually seemed like a teacher. I still couldn't wait until Damon killed him. I know that's bad of me to say, but I like Alaric a lot more and there's no other way to get him here. I also noticed Stefan couldn't take his eyes off of me. This was so wrong.

After school, I went to meet up with Elena.

"So are you going to see Mom and Dad after school?" I asked. I know she was supposed to fall in love with Stefan, not me.

"No, I don't want to waste my time there anymore." Elena replied. "I felt like I was holding onto the past too much."

I came across Ashley as I prepared to go.

"Where are you going?" She asked me.

"The cemetery." I answered.

"Stefan's going to be there." She pointed out. "You can't be there. He's supposed to date Elena."

"Stefan rescued me from the crash." I argued. "I don't think he would be interested in Elena."

I then went out to the cemetery. I looked through my bag and found I had my own diary. I opened it and found out that it was really depressing. It was then that I saw a crow and the fog. Oh crap, Damon's here. I know that Stefan saved me, but I don't think Damon wouldn't kill me. I began to run and tripped. One way I was different from Elena was I was a lot clumsier. I got up and noticed Stefan.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Did you follow me?" I asked him.

"No, but I saw you fall." He declared. Okay I remembered this part and I just couldn't say what Elena said.

"Do you family here or something?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied.

"I'm Taylor." I introduced.

"Stefan." He replied.

"I know." I responded. "We have History, and English, and French together."

I then noticed veins under his eyes. I forgot to check myself.

"Did you hurt yourself?" He asked. I looked at my leg and notice was bleeding. I wished I wore jeans like Elena did. He was gone almost instantly.

Ashley's POV

I was at the Grill with Caroline. I was at Mystic Grill. I always wondered what the food tasted like. Unfortunately, the Jeremy/Vicki/Tyler love triangle was still in effect. It's kind of unfair. Taylor gets to be with her guy, but I don't. We met up with Bonnie.

"His name is Stefan Salvatore. His lives with his uncle at the old Salvatore Boarding House. He hasn't lived here since he was a kid. Military family so he moved around a lot. He's a Gemini and his favorite color is blue. We're planning a June wedding." Caroline gabbed. I knew all of that and he was Scorpio, not a Gemini.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Care." I told her. Although, it was looking a little like Caroline and Stefan might hook up in Season 4.

"Stop being so negative, Ash." She chided me. This Caroline was also used to getting her way.

Taylor's POV

Elena and I were preparing to go to the Grill. I opened the door and there was Stefan.

"Hi." I remarked. I should have suspected this.

"I was about to knock." He told me. "I want to apologize about before."

"No, I get it. You have problems with blood." I responded. That was a very big understatement.

"Something like that." He concurred. "I see that you got your leg taken care of."

I had a Band-Aid covering it.

"You couldn't have come here just to check on me." I remarked. "How did you know where I lived, anyway?"

"Phonebook." He lied. He had been here before. It was an okay lie. "I thought you might want this back."

He was holding the diary that I had totally forgotten about. I guess I wasn't thinking about it.

"Thank you." I told him as I noticed Elena. "Elena, this is a Stefan. Stefan, this is my twin sister Elena. He found my journal and was returning it."

"She loves that thing." Elena joked. "Now you owe him your life, Tay."

"Were you leaving?" He asked.

"Yeah, we were about to meet someone at the Grill." I replied. "Would you like to come with?"

When we got to the Grill, I noticed Matt and Josh with Bonnie. Josh then walked over.

"Hey, I'm Josh. Nice to meet you." He said. So instead of Elena's jealous ex, there was my jealous ex that I didn't know that I had.

"Hi. Stefan." The vampire said before he shook Josh's hand.

Afterwards, I found myself at a table with Caroline, Bonnie, Stefan, Elena, and Ashley. It was a little unlikely that they had a table for six.

"So you were born in Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked.

"And moved when I was still young." Stefan answered. Technically, that was true.

"Parents?" Bonnie asked.

"They passed away." He responded. Bonnie looked over at me and Elena.

"Any siblings?" Elena asked.

"None that I talk to." He declared. I don't think he knew Damon was here yet. "I live with my uncle."

"So, Stefan if you're new here, you don't know about the party tomorrow night at the falls." Caroline replied. "It's this big back to school thing. Everyone is going."

"Are you going?" He asked me. I blushed.

"Of course she is." Ashley replied. I think she was on board right now.

The next day in class, Tanner was doing his Willow Creek thing. He went around the room.

"Taylor, surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significant events?" He asked. Damn it, how many people died? I knew about the vampires, but not the people.

"I don't know." I admitted.

"I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons." He stated. God, can Damon just kill him now. I don't want this guy as a teacher.

"346 casualties unless you're counting civilians." Stefan spoke up.

Stefan then went through the whole spiel and I was glad the attention was off of me.

I met up with Ashley once again at the party. It was weird being able to drink so easily.

"You know I had my doubts, but he seems to like you." My younger friend declared. "I'm so jealous."

"I know it's kind of great." I admitted.

"Maybe I should go so you two can have your _alone time_." Ashley joked. "You better not mess this. You should really kiss him tonight."

"I'll try." I promised. She walked away and soon Stefan was in front of me.

"I need to stop doing that." He remarked.

"It's okay. You're here." I declared.

"I'm here." He confirmed.

"Do you wanna take a walk with me?" I asked. We walked onto the bridge and I got to see how amazing the falls looked up close. "You know everyone is talking about you. It's not often we get new people. You are also mysterious."

Yes I realize the irony of that.

"Well you're mysterious too." He replied. "Twinged in sadness and also a little bit clumsy."

"I'll give you clumsy, but what makes you think I'm sad?" I asked. I really wasn't. Elena was.

"We did meet in a cemetery." He pointed out.

"No, we met outside of a men's room." I corrected. "You don't wanna know. You know I'm not very good at parties."

"I'm not so much either." He declared. Well maybe not at teen parties. I guess he didn't remember the 20s thing.

"Last spring, my parents car drove into a lake." I explained. "I was in the backseat. I survived, but they didn't."

Because he apparently pulled me out, but I didn't want to tell him that.

"You won't be sad forever, Taylor." He told me. It was sweet at least. I then told her about everyone.

"I like Ashley. She seems like a good friend." He commented. "And Elena seems like a good sister."

"I'm grateful for both of them." I admitted.

"You know Josh can't seem to look away from us." He added as I noticed this new character looking over at me.

"Well he is my ex." I answered. "I've known him for a while. We were kind of a big deal. Of course, once my parents died. It all changed. He tried to support me, but I just wasn't feeling it anymore. I never really loved him anyway."

I then noticed his face. Damn it. I wanted to kiss him.

"Do you have something in your eye?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm gonna get us a drink." He declared.

I went back to look for him, but all I found was Josh.

"You looking for someone?" He asked.

"Hey Josh…" I replied. This was going to be awkward.

"You broke up with me because you said you needed space." He pointed out. "I've given you that and I don't get it. You're fine with other people in your space."

"Josh, I…" I started before realizing I had no idea what to say.

"Just know that I don't want to give up on us." Josh replied. He walked away. I still didn't know why he was here. I looked for Stefan, but I think Caroline kidnapped him. I went near there and laughed a little.

"Is she always like that?" He asked.

"No, she'll give up eventually." I replied. I knew things would turn worse, but at least she would be okay and then get with Matt. The Damon thing wouldn't be a real problem.

It was at that moment, Elena and Jeremy came out of the woods with Vicki. I was surprised that wasn't me. Stefan pretty much bolted.

3rd Person

Stefan went up to his room and found a crow.

"Hello, brother." Damon greeted him.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked.

"Well I couldn't miss your first day." His brother declared.

"It's been 15 years. Why are you here?" Stefan demanded.

"I miss my little brother." Damon replied. "You know I could ask you the same thing, but I already know: Taylor. She's a dead ringer for Veronica…well with blonde hair anyway."

The two of them then got into a fight which Damon obviously won.

Taylor's POV

I went over to Elena. Bonnie came up to us.

"Hey, we're going to go mainline coffee and wait for news." She told us. Elena looked like she wanted to go.

"Go with her. I'll call Jenna to pick us up." I offered. Elena nodded then went with and I went over to Jeremy. I know it was supposed to be a big moment between them, but out of the three of us, she was supposed to be the closest to moving on. Jeremy had a beer in hand.

"You know those guys are cops." I pointed out. He chugged and chucked the bottle. "I called Jenna."

"Jeremy, people aren't going to keep giving you breaks." I told him. "We need to move on and realize that things aren't going back to the way they used to be."

"I've seen you writing in the cemetery, is that what you call moving on?" He countered.

"No." I replied. "Mom and Dad wouldn't want this from us."

Ashley's POV

I was at the Grill with Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena. We were giving my new sister coffee. She was really upset over the Stefan thing. I knew it wasn't last, but she was like this when she was drunk.

"Caroline, you'll find someone who loves you someday." I promised. Tyler definitely loved her and I'm pretty sure Klaus did too.

"Taylor doesn't even try and she gets the most amazing guy in the world." Caroline wept.

"It's not a competition, Care." Elena said. You know one problem with a lot of drinking is less bladder control. I had to go and Elena and Bonnie came with me.

Taylor's POV

I waited at home, writing in my diary. I wasn't going to put the part of about not belonging here because I don't know if Jeremy will read it later. I was really just passing the time while I waited for Stefan to show up. I looked out my window and saw him. I went down immediately.

"I know it's late." He declared. "I just wanted to know that you were okay."

"I'm as good as I can be." I admitted. "Would you like to come in?"

"Yes." He answered.

So there are some changes. There's the addition of Josh, who I do plan on making different from Matt. I'm thinking Elena will go back to Matt. Also there is no Katherine, only Veronica. Please don't forget to review.


	3. Night of the Comet

Last night was good. Stefan and I talked for a little while. We didn't really get much into detail, but it was nice being around him. I liked it. I liked Stefan, even though I felt like I shouldn't. I knew I wasn't supposed to be this, but this was a dream come true.

I was approached by Jenna as I came out of my room.

"Do I look adult?" She asked. "As in respectfully parental?"

"Depends where you're going." I stated.

"I've got Jeremy's parent teacher conference." She explained as she messed with her hair. "Hair up or down?"

"Up." Elena interrupted.

"Down makes you look like you drink too much." I joked.

"You're in a good mood today." Jenna noted.

"I'm feeling good, so I decided to go with it." I stated.

"It's about time." Elena declared. "So where is Jeremy?"

"He left to a Wood Shop project." Jenna replied. We glanced at her. "There is no Wood Shop, is there?"

"No." I replied, knowing he had gone to the hospital.

In class, Mr. Tanner was talking about the comet while I was busy having eye sex with Stefan. I did not notice Tanner walk up to us.

"Are we bothering you, Mr. Salvatore, Miss Gilbert?" He asked.

"No, go on." I remarked.

In the hallway, Stefan gave me a book.

"I brought it." He declared.

"_Wuthering Heights _by Ellis Bell." I replied. It was an original copy. "So are there any differences?"

"It's mostly the same book, but female writers weren't well respected back then, so all the Bronte sisters used pseudonyms." Stefan explained.

"Oh how the times have changed." I commented. "So when was this published?"

"1847." He answered. "It's sad because it was the only book she ever published. She died of tuberculosis the following year. You can keep it if you want."

"No, but maybe I can read it and give it back?" I suggested.

"Okay." He agreed with a smile.

Ashley's POV

Caroline and I walked the halls with Bonnie. I should probably have more friends in my own grade, but the only person I knew was Jeremy and he was off in Vicki Land.

"I'm confused. Are you psychic or clairvoyant?" My big sister asked. I didn't know the different between the two.

"Technically, my Grams says I'm a witch." Bonnie declared. "My ancestors were these really cool Salem witch chicks. Grams tried to explain it all, but she was looped on the liquor."

Bonnie should probably listen to her.

"Well feel free to conjure up the name and number of that guy from last night." Caroline replied. Apparently, while were in the ladies' room, Caroline had seen Damon. I know I wanted to stop this, but I don't know if there was anything I could do. What was I going to do? Stake him? I can't kill him and I don't have vervain to give her.

"Are you sure he's someone you wanna go out with?" I asked. "You don't know him."

"I know he's hot and that's good enough for me." Caroline replied. I sighed. "So, what about you Ash, any guys on your radar?"

"No." I lied. I don't think Caroline would take to me liking Jeremy well. Though, Jeremy would be better for me than Damon is for her.

After school, I decided to talk to Josh, since he was apparently Matt and Tyler's friend.

"So did Matt say anything about Vicki?" I asked. "I don't want ask him because he'd ask me about Elena."

"He said something crazy about her murmuring that a vampire attacked her." Josh explained.

"Sounds crazy." I commented, despite knowing it was true.

"Well my uncle Logan told me stories about vampires, but I don't think it's true. I think Vicki was just drunk." He explained. Okay, Josh being Logan's nephew was not good. "So what's up with you and the new guy?"

We looked over to Stefan, who I know was listening to us.

"Josh, I don't wanna talk about this." I told him simply.

"I should probably go with Matt to the hospital." He replied. I wish he realized he didn't have a chance with me. I mean he was very attractive, but Stefan was more for me.

Later I was with the girls, including Ashley as Bonnie explained how the comet was a harbinger of doom. It was only in the sense that it brought Damon to town.

"Grams needs to cool it on the sauce." Ashley joked. I guess it was okay.

"So we needs deets, Tay." Caroline replied. "What happened?"

"Nothing we just talked." I explained. I knew it was unhealthy to move too fast. Even if Stefan wasn't a vampire, I don't like moving that fast. I could never a one-night stand with someone, though I may have been too tired to kiss him.

"You talked all night?" She asked in disbelief. "No sloppy kisses or touching?"

"Nope." I replied.

"Taylor, we're your friends and your sister. You're supposed to share the smutty details." Caroline explained. Maybe this was why _Fifty Shades of Grey _was so popular, but I don't that had been written in this time yet.

"There was no smut." I replied in frustration. I wonder if this was how Elena felt.

"Well quit stalling and jump his bones." Caroline suggested, no practically ordered. It was a little frightening to be honest. "It's simple. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy: sex."

"Maybe we should let her move at her own pace?" Ashley suggested.

I decided to get up and see him.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"She's right. It's easy. I don't want to talk myself out of this." I stated. "I'll probably pass on the sex part, though."

I walked to the boarding and rang the bell before noticing the door was open. This seemed familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint it.

"Stefan?" I called as I looked through the house. I then realized why this was familiar. This was when Elena meets Damon. Maybe I could leave before he sees me. A crow flew in and nope. I knew I should be afraid. "I'm sorry for barging in."

"You must be Taylor." He told me. "I'm Damon, Stefan's brother."

"He didn't say that he had a brother." I declared. It was kind of true, due to his choice of words.

"Stefan's not one to brag." He explained.

"Please come. I'm sure Stefan will be along in a second." He replied as he ushered me into the living room. Being here made it seem so much more amazing. It was so big. I didn't even notice some of the stuff that was there.

"This is amazing." I gushed.

"It's a little kitschy for my taste." He admitted. "I see why my brother's so smitten. It's about time. For a while, I thought he'd never get over her.

This was the Katherine part.

"Last one?" I asked.

"Yeah, Veronica, his girlfriend?" He responded. Wait, what? Veronica? "You two haven't had the awkward exes convo yet? Oops."

"No." I responded.

"Well maybe he didn't want to tell you because he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound."

I need to get out of here. Though, I think I should listen so he doesn't try to compel me.

"You say it like every relationship is doomed." I pointed out.

"Well I'm a fatalist." He responded. "Hello, Stefan."

"Taylor." He greeted coldly. "I didn't know you were coming over."

"I was just leaving." I declared, not wanting any more of this.

"You're welcome anytime." Damon declared before I went out the door.

I went home and found that Elena and Jenna were cooking dinner.

"So, how'd it go?" My twin asked.

"He's on the rebound and has raging family issues." I explained. That was a great line.

"Well at least it's not mommy issues, or cheating issues, or amphetamine issues." Jenna told me.

As if on cue, Jeremy walked in. Jenna was pissed at him.

Ashley's POV

I was with Taylor. We were in town for the comet festival. I wore a denim dress and jeggings and platform boots while she had on a pale blue tank top with blue shorts and sneakers.

"So I don't know if I want to do this." Taylor told me. "I thought maybe Damon might like Elena, but I don't know if I can deal with both of them liking me."

"Taylor, if you want my opinion, I think you're too far in to get out." I proposed. "You can't be positive that Damon will even like you."

"What am I really supposed to do?" She asked. "I found out that there isn't a Katherine."

"Are you really going to let your fear of Damon come between you and Stefan?" I asked. "Quit being a wimp. I don't know if we're going to be able to go back, so we might as well enjoy it while we're here."

"I just don't think it's a good idea to keep doing this." She stated. "And I don't see you going after Jeremy."

"Stefan's into you." I told her. "I wish Jeremy would show me attention, but for now, it's not happening."

Taylor's POV

After dark was the candle-lighting ceremony. Josh lit mine and I lit the first I saw, which happened to be Stefan's.

"Hi." He greeted.

"Hi." I reciprocated before I awkwardly walked forward. Stefan slowly walked up to me.

"You know that comet is all alone up there. It's been that way for thousands of years." He said into my ear.

"Bonnie says it's evil." I joked. It was pretty close to what she said anyway.

"I don't think it's that." He replied. "I think it's just snow and ice trapped on a path it can't escape. Every 145 years, it gets to come home."

That sounded really romantic.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I wasn't myself." He stated.

"You didn't tell me you had a brother." I replied.

"We're not very close." He explained.

"He told me about your ex, Veronica." I said. Maybe I could understand this.

"What did he say?" He asked. None of the good stuff, that's for sure. Was Veronica like Katherine other than being a vampire?

"She broke your heart." I repeated.

"It was a long time ago." He remarked.

"Look, Stefan, I get it." I declared. "We have a lot in common, but I don't know if this can work. Complicated brother, complicated ex, no parents. It's all there and this can't work. We met. We talked, and it was epic, but I need to face reality."

I blew out my candle and walked away. The reality was this wasn't reality. This was something that I didn't know how long would last and there was no point in starting something that I might not even be here for tomorrow.

Afterwards, everyone was in the Grill.

"Has anyone seen Vicki?" Jeremy asked. I know where she is, but I can't say anything because everybody would ask, and this is vampire business that I could get hurt if I got involved with.

"You're her stalker. You tell us." Tyler quipped. He was such an ass in this season. "She probably found someone else to party with. Sorry, pill pusher, you've been replaced."

"Pill pusher?" I asked angrily. I don't get it. I knew he was giving her drugs. Why was I so upset about it?

"Are you dealing?" Elena asked.

"She's never going to go for you." Tyler taunted.

"She already did." Jeremy argued. I felt sorry for Ashley. This must be like a knife going in her. "Over and over and over."

"You slept with Vicki Donovan?" Caroline asked in disbelief. I also noticed Matt was uncomfortable. They were talking about his sister's sex life. Who wouldn't be?

"I didn't even have to force her into it." Jeremy spat at Tyler.

"All of you shut up and help me find my sister." Matt yelled. I felt bad that this was going to end badly for him.

I went with Ashley to "look". What I was really doing was taking her to the bathroom. She was practically crying.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'll be fine. Go talk to Jeremy. I don't even want him if he's not clean." She told me.

I nodded and walked to find my brother.

"How about a therapist?" Elena suggested.

"Or rehab?" I added. "You could meet some really cool people there, or you could talk to us."

"None of the above." Jeremy replied before he walked away from us. I wish he wasn't such a pain right now. I hoped that Stefan was doing the Vicki thing right now.

Ashley's POV

Everything with Vicki went as it should have. I was with Caroline and Bonnie as we watched her and Matt.

"So much drama." Caroline commented. "Ever notice how the druggies are the biggest attention whores?"

"So true." Bonnie agreed. It was at that point, Stefan walked up.

"Excuse me. Do you know where Taylor went?" He asked.

"She went home." I explained. I wish I had a pen, but I didn't. He started to leave.

"I'm gonna give you Taylor's cell and email. She loves texting and you can tell her I said so." Bonnie interrupted. It was then the moment I was dreading happened. She touched his hand and pulled back. Well I guess it was important to the plot and it had to happen.

Stefan went away.

"Bonnie, can you take my sister home?" Caroline asked. She then looked at me. "Tell Mom I'm going to be home late."

I frowned. I don't think I could stop this.

Taylor's POV

I went home and found Jenna searching through Jeremy's room for drugs.

"What are you doing?" I asked despite the fact that I already knew.

"I've become my worst nightmare: the authority figure." She stated before she found his bong. "I see the hiding places haven't gotten any more creative."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"Your asswipe of a teacher shamed me good yesterday." She explained.

"Look Tanner is a douche." I explained. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't have kids. He doesn't know what it's like to have to take care of someone. You're better than you think you are, Aunt Jenna."

"Your mom made it seem so easy." She admitted. "I'm not her and I never will be. I'm going to mess up. I can't do it."

I felt so bad for her. I don't know if I would even be there to save her.

"It's not your fault, Jenna." I declared. "Jeremy will get better. I know he'll get better. You've done an amazing job."

I then realized that if there was one thing I could do, it was embrace the moment.

"I have to go." I declared. "I won't be gone long."

I went back to the boarding house. I wanted this. If I was going to be here, I might as well enjoy myself. I knocked and he answered it.

"Would you like to come in?" He invited.

"Comet's out here." I explained. He came out and stood beside me on the deck. "So I kept trying to think of reasons why we shouldn't be together, and it caused me to miss the most important reason why we should."

"And what's that?" He asked.

"You make me happy, Stefan." I answered. "I don't care if this can't last. I want it now and I'm ready to embrace what's in front of me."

"That seems to be the only reason that matters." He declared before he pressed his lips against mine.

I made a mental note. Dear Diary tonight was awesome.

So two chapters in one day. It won't always be like this. I just felt like writing more. I know you want some things to change and some things will change, but certain things they don't have the power to. Trust me, Ashley is going to feel pretty bad for letting that happen to Caroline. Please don't forget to review.


	4. Friday Night Bites

Ashley's POV

I woke up. I knew that Damon was in Caroline's room. I had to make sure that he didn't see me. I didn't want to wind up compelled too. I dressed myself in the first thing I could find: a lacy white dress and went out the window.

Taylor's POV

Bonnie had once again given Elena and I a ride to school. We got out of her car and I prepared for the dreaded witch moment.

"I'm not saying don't date the guy, I'm saying take it slow." She declared.

"You told her to go for it." Elena argued.

"Now I say take it slow." Bonnie repeated.

"What's up?" I asked. "Why the about face?"

"It's not about face." Bonnie declared. "You're single for the first time in all of high school. You should play the field."

"Elena can play the field, I'm happy with Stefan." I argued.

"What are you not saying, Bonnie?" Elena asked.

"I accidentally touched Stefan and I got this bad vibe." The witch relented.

"That's it?" Elena asked.

"Was this another of your witch things?" I joked, despite knowing it was.

"It was _bad _bad." She stated. "I'm just concerned for you. This is me expressing concern about my friend's new boyfriend."

"Bonnie, I appreciate the concern, but I'm going to be fine." I told her. "Stefan makes me happy and is helping me bounce back."

Ashley's POV

I watched as I leaned against a tree. I wasn't going to go too close because I didn't want to get a contact high. Vicki walked up to him, but he blew her off. I wish that would mean that it was over for the two of them, but it didn't.

Taylor's POV

"Hi, Taylor." Stefan greeted. "Morning, Elena, Bonnie."

"I have to go find Caroline." Bonnie replied as she quickly walked away.

"She doesn't like me very much." Stefan commented.

"She doesn't know you." I argued.

"Listen, I have to go check out a book, but I will see you later." Elena declared before she also walked away.

"Now she just wants us to have alone time." I pointed out. "I think Bonnie just needs to warm up to you. Are you free tonight?"

I knew he was.

"Yes." He stated.

"Okay, then you're having dinner at my house. I'll invite Bonnie and Ashley and you can get to know my friends." I explained. "Be there at 8:00."

I then realized that there was a ball flying at Stefan. He predictably turned and caught it before throwing it back over to where Matt, Josh, and Tyler were.

"That was amazing. Do you play?" I asked.

"I don't anymore." He answered.

"You should try out for the team." I suggested.

"Yeah…I don't think so." He responded.

"Don't you like football?" I urged.

"I love football, but I don't think football likes me." Stefan declared. "You saw Tyler and we know how things are with Josh. I don't think that it is going to work out."

"They don't know you. You're mysterious loner guy to them." I remarked. "It wouldn't hurt to make friends."

I did want Stefan to have friends, even though the closest thing that he has to a male friend is Klaus, possibly Alaric. Speaking of which, that's why I need Stefan on the team. I don't thin

"Says the girl that spends her free time in the cemetery." He joked.

"Hey, I have friends." I pointed out. "Plus there is the fun Taylor that you haven't seen."

"When you do I get to meet her?" He asked as I closed my locker.

"Soon." I declared. "She'll be here, soon."

Once in Tanner's class, I found myself being called on again.

"Taylor, Pearl Harbor?" He asked. Damn it. I hate being called on. When was that? I should know this.

"December 7, 1941." Stefan answered.

"Thank you, _Taylor." _Tanner responded.

"Anytime." Stefan replied.

"The Fall of the Berlin Wall?" Tanner asked.

"1989"

Next came the part where Stefan owned Tanner.

"You're really smart." I told him. Of course he was. He lived all those dates.

"I've done a lot of crossword puzzles." He lied. Actually, I can't confirm it was a lie. He'd probably be good at those too.

Later, I went out to the football field dressed in blue tank and shorts. We were waiting for Caroline, who I knew would be late.

"You're here!" Bonnie said before she gave me a hug. Elena was also there.

"Yes, I decided that I wanted to come back." I declared as I began to stretch. "I need to do things that I used to. By the way, you're coming to dinner tonight."

"I am?" Bonnie asked.

"She is?" Elena also asked.

"Yup, the three of us, Ashley, and Stefan." I answered. Bonnie groaned. "You have to at least try."

"Tonight's no good." Bonnie declared. Elena and I shot her a look. Maybe we were twins. "Have you seen Caroline, I've texted her a lot."

"Don't change the subject." Elena ordered. "You're going to be there."

"Fine, I'll go." Bonnie pouted.

After a few minutes, I noticed Damon's car drove up with Caroline inside. I really hated this part.

"That must be the mystery guy from the Grill." Bonnie commented.

"That's no mystery. That's Damon Salvatore." I remarked.

"Salvatore as in Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Yup." I replied as Caroline walked gloating about her catch as she did.

"Okay girls, sorry I'm late. I was…busy." She remarked. "Let's start with the double pike perky hurdler."

I noticed Damon winked at me before he drove off. I didn't like this.

Okay, I was really behind. Maybe it was because I have never done cheerleading before. It was a lot harder than it looked.

"Taylor, why don't you just watch?" Caroline asked. Okay, that was unsubtle and embarrassing. I decided that I would go check out Stefan. It was so much more amazing watching from up close than the TV. I just wish that Tyler didn't feel the need to hit him like that. At least Josh helped him up. I don't think they'd be friends, but it was still nice to see. I also found out Josh was the running back.

That night, Elena and Bonnie were in the kitchen while Ashley and I were in the bathroom.

"Caroline is with Damon and I really hate it." Ashley complained.

"I do too, but what can we really do about it?" I asked. "She's going to be okay as long as everything goes as planned. I know it sucks, but who knows what would happen if we stop. I don't think it would be good for you to get vervain yet."

I then heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it." I declared as I let Stefan in.

We were then seated at the table. It was pretty awkward because no one was saying anything. Elena didn't speak up so I had to.

"So did you make the team?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

"Well Tanner wasn't thrilled until he saw me played, but yeah." Stefan answered.

"You should have seen him today, Bonnie…" I started but Bonnie didn't seem interested in it. I then remember what Elena said. "You should tell Stefan about your family."

Bonnie went into the boring stuff.

"No, the witches." Ashley piped in.

"Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. Pretty cool, right?" I asked.

"Well that's interesting." Stefan declared. "I'm not well versed, but I do that there were many Celtic druids that might here in the 1800s."

"My family is from Salem." Bonnie stated.

"That is pretty cool." Stefan agreed with me.'

"Really, why?" Bonnie asked.

"Salem witches are the perfect example of non-conformity. These men and women would rather die than plead guilty. I don't know if you've heard of Giles Corey. He was accused and sentence to death by crushing with heavy stones. They kept trying to get him to confess and the last thing he said was 'More weight'." Stefan explained.

"That's pretty badass." Ashley commented before the doorbell rang. Well there were Damon and Caroline.

Elena went to get it and I followed.

"Surprise!" The perky blonde remarked. She was holding cake. "Ashley said you were doing dinner, so we brought dessert."

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked his brother.

"Waiting for Elena or Taylor to invite me in." Damon declared. Well I wasn't going to.

"He can't stay." Stefan remarked.

"It's fine. Come in." Elena invited. I wish you hadn't done that, sister.

"You two have a beautiful home." Damon declared after he stepped in. Ashley looked very uncomfortable. I would be as well.

"Thank you." Elena remarked.

Ashley's POV

"I can't believe Mr. Tanner let you on the team. Tyler must be pissed." Caroline gabbed. "Good for you, though."

"I always tell him to do things and he never listens." Damon replied.

Taylor wasn't so lucky, but only because she missed summer camp. I don't know how she's ever going to learn the routine." Caroline continued.

"I'll tell her." Elena remarked.

"You don't seem like the cheerleader type." Damon commented. That's because I'm not.

"That's because she went through this blah phase after her parents died." My sister explained. I shot her a look that said 'Stop talking.' "I say that with utmost sympathy."

"I'm sorry, girls. Stefan and I have watched about everyone we've ever cared about die." Damon replied.

"We don't need to get into that, Damon." Stefan said.

"You're right. The last thing I wanna do is mention her." Damon replied. It was Veronica not Katherine, who I think looked like me.

The unfortunate part about dinner was that I was stuck on dish duty. Even worse, Damon decided to help.

"One more." He told me as he handed me a glass. Well he juggled it. You know maybe I could use this to get the Veronica story and see if it matched the Katherine story.

"Nice save." I declared before I put the cup in the dishwasher.

"I like you." He told me. I hope he means platonically. "You make Stefan smile and I haven't seen that in a very long time. So do dye your hair?"

"Yeah." I answered, even though I didn't have a clue about dyeing.

"Did you mean Veronica earlier?" I asked.

"How did she die?" I asked.

"Very tragic fire." Damon replied. Well I guess that couldn't be different if they thought she was in the tomb.

"Was it recent?" I questioned. No.

"It seems like yesterday." He told me.

"What was she like?" I asked curiously.

"She had the most beautiful eyes, kind of like yours. At times she was a bitch, but she was very sexy." He explained.

"So which of you dated her first?" I asked. She did sound like Katherine.

"Nice deduction." He commented with a laugh. "That depends on who you ask."

"You should quit cheerleading." He suggested.

"Why do you think that?" I asked.

"I saw you at practice, you looked miserable and don't take this wrong way, but it doesn't sound like you're very good at it." He explained.

"I loved it. I was my boyfriend's personal cheerleader and I enjoyed it." I remarked. I think that was how it went. "Everything has changed now."

"Quit and move on." He suggested. "If it doesn't make you happy, then don't do it. It really is that simple."

"But all of my friends are on the squad." I pointed out.

"Ashley's not." He argued. Okay that was true. Ashley would never be caught dead cheerleading.

"I'm sorry about Veronica." I told him. If she's anything like Katherine, I am sorry for what's going to happen.

That night, I had a dream. I was having sex with Stefan before he turned into Damon. I don't know if Damon had manipulated my dream. The show kind of hinted it, but didn't confirm it.

"In the morning, I got out of the shower and looked at my uniform. Damon was right. I wasn't any good at this. I wasn't the girl who was the cheerleader. Instead I got dressed in a white tank top, navy cardigan and jeans.

I saw Elena on my way out. She was in her uniform.

"I don't think I can do it." I admitted.

I went to school and noticed Stefan in his jersey. It was a good look. Too bad this would be the only time I see him in it.

"Whoa I need a mint you're so hot." I commented. I then realized that made little sense. "That made a lot more sense in my head."

He chuckled. "So what happened? No more cheerleader?"

"I quit." I replied matter-of-factly. "I'm too clumsy to be a cheerleader."

"You suffered a great loss." He told me as he held my hands. "You should be starting anew."

I only smiled dumbly at him.

"I hope you don't think this is too soon…" He started. He's giving me the necklace. "But I wanted you to have this."

"It's beautiful." I replied. I mean if I get to Season 3, it's going to be problematic, but here it was a nice gesture. I took a whiff. So that's what vervain smells like. "What's that smell?"

"It's an herb." Stefan explained…called vervain.

"I love it." I admitted before I let him put it on me.

"I also wanted to thank you for pushing to try out." He added. I wish I could it was for unselfish reasons. I should feel bad that I was pretty much sacrificing Tanner to bring Alaric here.

"Too bad I can't be your cheerleader." I joked.

"I'd prefer you just as my girlfriend." He admitted. That was romantic. I kissed him for that. I then realized I would have to face Caroline's wrath for quitting.

Ashley's POV

That night, everyone was at the tailgating. I don't know why I was here, I don't like football. I then saw Jeremy and was reminded. I couldn't talk to him, because I know he was still doing drugs, so I would continue to watch him from afar.

Tanner went into this speech about Stefan yada yada yada. Before he was done, Tyler walked out of the crowd. I then noticed the full moon in the sky. Oh no. Tyler was looking for a fight and he got one. He ended up beating on Jeremy ended Stefan pulled him off. Jeremy then grabbed the bottle and swung, hitting Stefan.

Taylor's POV

I had to go subdue my brother. I couldn't believe what a pain he was being.

"I've got him, you tend to Stefan." Elena told me.

I went over to my boyfriend who I know was already starting to heal.

"Are you okay?" I asked looking at his hand. It was fully healed. "Did he miss?"

"Yeah." Stefan lied.

"I could have sworn he hit you." I remarked. "I guess it's a good thing that he didn't. We can't hand anyone messing up those magic hands of yours."

"Do you mind getting some tissues from the car?" Elena asked me.

"Sure." I agreed. I couldn't say no.

I went to the parking lot and got some tissues. I expected Damon but his lack of personal space still surprised me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm hiding from Caroline." He whispered.

"Why?" I whispered back.

"She talks more than I can listen." He replied.

"Maybe you should end it." I suggested.

"I didn't say I was ready for that, even though she drives me crazy." Damon responded. This irritated me. He was already feeding from her. He didn't need to insult her too.

"Look, Caroline may be annoying sometimes, but she is my friend and I don't like you talking about her like this."

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "That's not my intention."

"Yes it is." I told him. "Everything you say has this double meaning."

"You're right." He admitted. "I think we both know where this is going. You want to kiss me."

I was glad I was wearing vervain. I made sure to slap him.

"I don't know what game you're playing, but I am your brother's girlfriend and you are my friend's boyfriend! I am not playing your game and I am not Veronica!" I told him off before I walked away. That felt good.

Ashley's POV

It wasn't long before we noticed that they had found Tanner's body. Damon had obviously killed him. He was an asshole, but he didn't deserve to die.

Taylor's POV

I had to at least act upset. Maybe I'll win an Academy Award someday.

"How did this happen?" I asked, trying to sound upset. "What kind of animal is doing this? What was it doing in town?"

"I don't know." He said.

"You'll keep me safe, won't you Stefan?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied before he gave me a hug. I never felt safer than when I was in his arms.

There are some ways that Veronica is different from Katherine. Also, it's going to be a little while before Ashley has her own storyline. She may conveniently choose to befriend Jeremy right after Vicki dies. So how many Jennifer Lawrence references can you spot in this chapter? Please don't forget to review.


	5. Family Ties

Taylor's POV

Elena and I were downstairs while Jenna was cursing at Logan on TV

"Who are you talking to?" Elena asked.

"Him." Jenna remarked

"The news guy?" Elena asked in confusion

"Also known as Logan "Scum" Fell." Jenna answered.

"He's Josh's uncle." I added.

"Did your mom ever tell you girls why I moved away from Mystic Falls?" Jenna asked.

"He's cute." Elena commented.

"I don't know. He kind of looks like a douche to me." I stated. This was because I knew he was a douche.

"Thank you." Jenna told me. "He is a douche. He is the biggest douche in the universe."

Jenna then turned off the TV as we looked through the various trinkets on the table.

"What are you doing with that stuff?" Jenna asked.

"I picked it up from the safe box." I explained.

"Mrs. Lockwood wants the stuff for the Founder's Party." Elena added before going over the old wedding ring.

"How much do you think this stuff is worth on eBay?" Jeremy asked, having walked in, as he picked up the pocket watch/compass. I knew that he was joking.

"You're not gonna find out." I still declared. They didn't know he was joking, though.

"That stuff is Mom and Dad's you can't just give it away." Jeremy pointed out.

"It's a loan, Jeremy." I explained. "We'll get it back."

It was then the doorbell rang. I answered it and there was Stefan. I pulled him and kissed him while no one was looking.

"Nice to see you." I told him when we were done.

From there, I took him to my room and we made out on the bed. I have to say, kissing Stefan Salvatore is one of my favorite activities. I guess it's one of the only activities I do. The only problem is he could keep it up.

"You know you're giving me the female equivalent of blue balls." I joked. That was a very lame joke. "Okay, maybe we're moving too fast."

"Yeah, that was getting heated." Stefan agreed.

"Do you look good in suits?" I asked.

"Why do you ask?" He questioned.

"Tomorrow night at the Lockwoods for the Founder's Party?" I asked. "Generally dates are encouraged."

"Do you they still do that?" He asked.

"Yeah, like every year." I quipped just because I felt snarky.

"The Salvatores don't get invited anymore." He explained as he put his shoes on.

"Well I could invite you?" I offered. "My mom was really involved in the Founder's council and…"

"Yes." Stefan replied. I couldn't help but wonder if Grayson or Miranda had ever killed a vampire. "I would be honored to accompany you, Miss Gilbert."

"That's good news, Mr. Salvatore." I giggled.

Ashley's POV

I was at home, trying my best to stay hidden from Damon. I wonder if sunglasses can prevent compulsion. The show never really explored that idea. I know Stefan had to take his off to compel the secretary, but I don't know if I should risk it. I was trying to find a dress to wear to the party that I didn't want to go to because I wouldn't have but, my mom was making me go. I really hope that everything goes as it should tomorrow night, because I am really starting to care for Caroline like I've always been her sister.

Later, I was with her and Bonnie at the Grill. Bonnie was upset.

"You're taking Damon to the Founder's Party? What about me?" Bonnie asked.

"Damon is a better kisser." Caroline replied. I sighed, upset that she was completely under his control.

"You can go with me." I offered. I know Bonnie wasn't there, but neither was I.

"Just forget it." Bonnie replied. "Is your mom okay with you bringing him?"

"She doesn't know." Ashley responded.

"And you're not going to tell her if you want a ride." Caroline threatened.

"I'm perfectly fine walking." I stated. There was no way I was going to sit in a car with Damon.

"Why don't you cast a spell to make a guy fall for you?" Caroline joked.

"No witch jokes. That Tanner thing freaked me out." Bonnie explained. I guess it was for the best since Alaric would be here soon.

"Damon has a lot of issues with Stefan." Caroline declared. Cough understatement cough. Okay I didn't do that aloud.

"Spill." Bonnie ordered, hungry for gossip apparently.

"I should tell you." My sister responded.

"When has that stopped you?" I asked.

Taylor's POV

The following morning, Tyler came by to pick up the box. Jeremy answered it and I came downstairs with it.

"Please take care of that." I asked him.

"Yeah, be careful, Dick." Jeremy added. If you told me here they would be friends, I wouldn't believe you.

"No fighting." I ordered. "That stuff is very fragile."

"He's just being a punk." Tyler declared. I'm not gonna make a pot/kettle joke right now.

"Tell your mom Elena and I will see her tonight." I told him.

Later Elena and I were in the kitchen. This was where Bonnie leaked the info that Damon told her about Veronica. I don't trust anything Damon says at this point.

"So are you seriously going with Matt?" Bonnie asked my sister.

"Yeah, I think we might be able to make this work." She declared.

"Bonnie, I don't trust a word that Damon has to say." I remarked. "Did I tell you guys he tried to kiss me?"

Elena and I were doing our hair when her phone went off. There was the future calling about the compass. I know I need to delay this. She was pissed. She came back with it.

"I really think that you should let him keep it." I suggested. "I know it was on the list, but they have enough stuff. It's not like the watch is so special that they absolutely need it."

I watched Elena give it back to him as I finished putting on my sheer red dress with short sleeves. I wore my hair in a nice ponytail and had red heels. Being able to dress up like this on a regular basis could be nice.

Ashley's POV

I stood behind Caroline and Damon as we waited to be invited in. You know for people who are supposed to know about vampires, they're pretty careless about who they invite in their home. I was in a sheer single-strapped blue dress with black hose and blue shoes.

"Caroline, Ashley, you two look so pretty." Mrs. Lockwood said.

"Thanks, Mrs. Lockwood." We both said, though Caroline was more enthusiastic about it. Damon was then invited in. I then noticed our mom. I decided to walk away so I wasn't let alone with him.

Taylor's POV

Elena, Matt, Stefan, and I arrived at the door. I realized Stefan couldn't get in.

"Hi, Mayor Lockwood." I greeted.

"Hey guys, come in." He invited before we all walked in. No sooner did I step in did I notice Josh staring at me. You see Elena in the show didn't have this problem because her ex wasn't from a founding family.

The Lockwood mansion was actually really nice. I know that Tyler didn't like it, but I think that having that much space would be awesome. Of course, living with an abusive father wouldn't be. Okay the founding family was pretty boring, but the house was nice.

"There's a lot of history here." I commented. It was a history Elena knew better than I did. I decided to pretend that I was interested in this stuff.

I read the original registry which was actually kind of cool.

"Look at all of these names: Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood. Is that Damon Salvatore and Stefan Salvatore?"

"The original Salvatore brothers." Damon remarked as he and Caroline appeared behind us. "Our ancestors. Such a tragic story."

"They don't want to hear this." Stefan replied.

"I'd actually love to hear more about your family." I explained. I don't know why I cared so much about finding out about Veronica. She didn't sound much different than Katherine.

"I am bored." Caroline declared. "Damon won't dance with me. Is it alright if I borrow your date, Taylor?"

"I don't dance either." Stefan replied. Actually this needed to happen. Stefan needed to get the vervain into her system. I mean it at least it will get her away from him.

"Stefan does it all. I think I've even seen him do the Soulja Boy." Damon remarked. Okay, I know he was making that up, but that would be funny as hell.

"I don't mind." I replied before Caroline dragged Stefan away.

"So I want to start by apologizing to you for being an ass the other night." Damon replied. I would be nice if he meant it. "My therapist thinks I'm trying to punish Stefan."

"Why would you want to punish him?" I asked.

"Let's just say the men in the Salvatore family have a history of sibling rivalry." He explained. "It all started with those guys."

Ashley's POV

I noticed Caroline and Stefan on the dance floor. I hope Stefan was going to go through with the same plan. I needed this to work so I could stop worrying about her and worrying about myself. Even though, he would compel her some more, it would at least keep him away from our house.

"No date, today?" Josh asked me, taking my attention from them.

"Nope." I replied. "My mom made me go."

"You know that I want Taylor to be happy, right?" He asked. I nodded. "I just wish it was with me instead. So any particular reason they're dancing together."

"My sister was upset that her boyfriend wouldn't dance with her, so she went looking for another man to dance with. Maybe she should have asked you."

I then spotted Stefan taking some drinks. I hoped this would work.

Taylor's POV

"The Salvatores were basically royalty hear until the war." Damon continued to explain. I didn't remember all of this.

"The Battle of Willow Creek. We learned about it in History." I told him. "So do you happen to know if that church thing is really true?"

"The books left out that it was an execution not an accident." Damon responded. "The people inside were believed to be Union sympathizers. The founders wanted them burned alive in there. Stefan and Damon had someone they loved in there."

Well I'll admit, most of them belonged there, but Pearl and Harper did not.

"When the brothers went to rescue the people, they were shot." Damon added.

From what I remember, they were left to bleed to death. I mean usually when Damon kills people, it's more sudden and painless. I know that doesn't make it right, but at least they're not suffering.

"Who was the woman they wanted to save?" I asked. Well, no one. Veronica likely got out just like Katherine.

"I don't know her name, but doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman?" He questioned.

"Can you please leave me out of this, Damon?" I requested. I don't know why I bothered. He wasn't going to. "You two need to work this out."

"I hope we can." He lied.

Later we went down to meet Stefan and Caroline. Stefan offered his brother a drink and Damon declined, not knowing the drink that Stefan planned on giving him was just liquor.

"So, Stefan do you still feel like dancing?" I asked.

"Of course." He remarked before he took me to the dance floor. I don't know the name of the song that was playing, but in my head it was "Begin Again" by Taylor Swift. Yes, I know the song hasn't even been written yet, but I don't care.

"So I hope Damon didn't drive you crazy." Stefan remarked.

"No, he was fine. It's a miracle. So can you really do the Soulja Boy? Is there a video on the internet somewhere?" I asked.

"No." He told me.

"So, I think I need to hear from you about Veronica." I admitted. I would show a lot of trust in our relationship if he were to tell me. I know he wasn't ready to tell me that he was a vampire yet, but still wanted to know.

"I really don't want to talk about it right now." He answered. I frowned. "It would ruin the moment."

"Well I just want you to know that when you're ready and if you need someone to talk to, I can be that someone. I'm your girlfriend, Stefan. I've told you everything about Josh, so you can do the same." I replied.

"I'm just not ready." He stated.

"I wanna know you, Stefan. I really wish you'd open up to me." I added.

"What did Damon do?" Stefan asked.

"This isn't about Damon." I replied. It actually really wasn't. "You have so many mysteries, but every mystery needs to be solved eventually. Carly Simon needs to reveal who she wrote "You're So Vain" about and we need to find out who shot Biggie and Tupac."

"Taylor, please let it go. I don't want to talk about it." Stefan declared.

We were having a fight. I overstepped my boundaries.

"Tell me one thing that I don't know." I demanded, I getting upset. "Everyone else keeps telling me things, but you're not."

"You let Damon get in your head." He accused.

"Stop blaming Damon!" I exclaimed. I broke away and then went to find Elena.

"You're going to be okay." Elena told me. "You just had a fight, couples fight."

"I know." I replied. I knew we would be okay. It was then that Mrs. Lockwood came over.

"Elena, Taylor, I noticed the watch is still missing." She told us.

"I'm sorry, we couldn't find it." I stated. I wish there was a way to keep Logan from getting it because I don't want Stefan to get shot, but Logan is not someone that I want to remain alive.

"Please let me know if you either of you find it." The woman declared.

Later, we went to the bathroom and found Caroline. Since Elena was here, she was probably going to be the one to find out about what Damon was doing to her. In fact, that was exactly what she did. She discovered the marks, which I might add were pretty gruesome to see in person. Also seeing Caroline deny it was really sad. I made her look a domestic violence victim trying to defend their attacker.

"Leave me alone! Both of you leave me alone!" She yelled.

"Elena, you really should do this." I told her. She was going down to give Damon a piece of her mind. I know he couldn't compel her in front of everyone, but this was still a bad idea. She found him.

"There is something seriously wrong with you. What are you doing to Caroline?" She asked. "Do you want me to tell her mom, the sheriff, about the bruises all over her body?"

I guess that was necessary too. I mean Damon wouldn't try to kill her if not for that moment.

Ashley's POV

I saw Elena attack Damon and now he knew that they knew. I guess everything was working. I just hoped he tried to kill her by feeding and didn't just snap her neck.

Taylor's POV

"Okay, I was wrong about Damon." I lied. "He's hurting Caroline. She's denying that he ever touched her. Please tell me you are not going to let him get away with this."

"I'm not. I just can't tell you what I'm doing." I remarked. "I want to tell you these things, Taylor, but I can't. Trust me."

"Trust is earned, Stefan." I declared before I walked away.

Ashley's POV

I found Caroline in the grass. She was holding Emily's talisman. I wish I could tell her to leave it behind, but this was another thing that needed to happen.

"Caroline, are you okay?" I asked my sister. She was losing it. I don't think she realized Damon was a vampire, but I did not like seeing her like this. What made it worse was this was only the beginning. I want to change some of the things that happened to her. I hugged tightly as she cried on my shoulder. I know I didn't want to be her sister, but I was now and I think I officially loved her as my sister.

So it ends on a heartwarming moment between Caroline and Ashley. Ashley was misremembering Bonnie not being there. She was there. She just didn't do anything important. Also, Taylor is getting frustrated with Stefan. She wants him to tell her that he's a vampire. Please don't forget to review.


	6. You're Undead to Me

Taylor's POV

I woke up. I knew that Stefan was dealing with Damon, but it still hurt that he couldn't find five minutes for me. I went to the bathroom to find…Vicki. How did I forget that Jeremy had let her sleep over?

"I'm almost done." She replied, mouth full of toothpaste. I almost lost my appetite.

"Did you know that Jeremy brought a girl home?" I asked Jenna and Elena who were seated at the table.

"He could try harder to hide her, but yeah." Jenna explained. "I also want to tell you girls I won't be home for dinner."

"You're going out with Logan?" Elena teased. I felt bad for her.

"I'm going to torture him." Jenna corrected.

"So have you heard from Stefan?" Elena asked.

"I also got was one lame voicemail." I frowned. I wasn't going to imitate him before I poured some cereal.

"You should call him." Jenna suggested.

"He's the one with all of the secrets, he should call me." I explained. "I hate that he hasn't even had the grace to see me once in the last three days."

Ashley's POV

Bonnie and I were in Caroline's room as she prepared for school.

"I remember the party." She remarked. "Damon came up behind me and was kissing my neck…or biting it. I passed and Ashley found me. I have all these holes in my memory. Maybe I let him bite me."

"You shouldn't let someone bite you, Care." I told her. The good news was the bruises were healing. "It's not kinky. It's weird."

"Can we stop talking about this?" She requested. She looked at Bonnie. "What's with the candle?"

"Nothing." Bonnie replied. I think she was trying to light it. She had no idea how her powers worked. She then noticed the talisman. "What's this?"

"Damon gave it to me…or I don't know but I found it." Caroline said.

We went to school and Caroline already started to plan for the carwash. It was good that she was focusing on something else. I had a feeling that I would be there.

Taylor's POV

I was with Elena and Bonnie before Ashley came over.

"It's like nothing happened." Elena commented.

"Well if she focuses on other things, she'll be able to move on quicker." Ashley opined.

All of a sudden, Stefan walked over.

"Hey girls, we have to do that thing in that place." Elena remarked as she pulled Ashley and Bonnie away.

"I'm sorry I haven't called." He apologized.

"I'll live." I replied.

"I was dealing with Damon." He explained.

"You told me that, but couldn't you at least have the decency to call?" I asked. "I haven't seen you in four days."

"You have the right to be upset me with me." He remarked. "Can I explain it?"

Sure." I agreed. I then realized something. "Want to meet at the Grill at 4:00?"

"I can do that." He declared.

"Stefan, where's Damon?" Caroline asked. "He needs to apologize over his disappearing act."

"He's gone, Caroline." Stefan simply said before he walked away.

"You don't need Damon. I told her."

After school, I met up with Ashley.

"Do you think I'm acting too much like Elena?" I asked her.

"What do you mean?" Ashley inquired.

"Well I'm just finding that my actions are mirroring Elena's." I explained.

"Why do you think that you're doing that?" She questioned.

"I think it's because I think if I act like Elena, he'll like me more." I answered. "I'm not sure if he'd like me for me. Does that make any sense to you? Am I crazy?"

"I think that when he does that dinner thing, you should tell him what you're like too." My friend suggested.

"So how's Caroline holding up?" I questioned.

"I think she's getting better. I just wish that she wouldn't let Damon out." Ashley stated.

"We can't leave Damon in there" I told her. "If we do, Logan probably kills Stefan."

"I know." Ashley pointed out.

Later, I went to the Grill and found Josh was there. I don't know why I bothered going so early. I knew he was going to be late.

"Are you looking for someone?" My ex asked me.

"Stefan." I answered.

"Haven't seen him." Josh replied. "If you want to play pool while we wait, I'm game."

"Okay." I agreed. I don't know why. I sucked at pool. Maybe this would be a chance to really to know him. "So my aunt and your uncle, how crazy is that?"

"It's not as crazy as it would be if we were still together." He commented

An hour later, we were still playing.

"So why is he so late?" Josh asked. "It's not nice to keep a girl waiting."

"I don't want to talk about it." I declared. "It's weird talking about boys with you."

"It's not like we were never friends." Josh remarked.

"Okay, I like Stefan, but I just feel that we don't know each other that well." I told him.

"Well, all I know is that he's great at football." He commented. "I also think he's a nice guy."

It was then that he arrived.

"I'm sorry I'm late." He apologized. "I got held up."

"For an hour?" I asked.

"I'm gonna go." Josh remarked.

"I'm really sorry." He said again.

"Stop saying sorry!" I yelled. Well that definitely wasn't Elena like. "Just tell me what's going on?"

Before he could say anything else, the old man showed up. He was Tiki's grandfather I think. While I'm on the subject, who names their kid Tiki? I walked away because he had something better planned.

I went into my room while I waited for him. I knew I needed to clear the air and the kitchen was the place for it. I need to open up to him just like he is going to do with me.

"You look upset." Jeremy commented. I glad he was in a better mood, even if he was with Vicki.

"Things between me and Stefan are really tense." I stated.

"Well maybe you should get something to eat." He suggested. I went downstairs and there he was in the kitchen.

"Why are you in my kitchen?" I asked.

"Jeremy told me you love chicken parmesan and I am a good cook, being of Italian descent." He explained. "I even make my own mozzarella, but tonight it's store-bought."

"You can't just make me dinner and pretend everything's okay." I remarked as I walked closer to him.

"I know. I'm gonna tell you some things about me." He replied making some cuts. "If you're going to dump me, you should know who you're dumping."

"I never said I was." I pointed out.

"Well I'm gonna start with Veronica. She was the most beautiful girl that I've ever seen, until now." He replied. Aww. "Everything about her was perfect. She made me feel so special. She was fun. Of course she was all good. A lot of times, she could be very bad. Damon and I don't know who was with her first. We both did some things that we probably shouldn't have and now he is eternally angry at me for them. I miss her, but I've come to terms with the fact she's gone."

I then joined in the cooking.

"I love to read, especially Fitzgerald. _The Great Gatsby _is my favorite of all time." He explained. "I love _Seinfeld, _but _Happy Days _was the best before it jumped the shark. Movies, I love _Taxi Driver _and anything Scorsese. I love a little everything music wise: Dylan, Patsy, Willie, Kanye, I even like that one Miley song."

"'Party in the USA' or 'The Climb'?" I asked as I began to cut . I always wondered this.

"Party in the USA" He replied.

"So now I want to tell you about me. I always feel kind of inadequate around Elena. Sometimes I try to be like her. I like to read too. I am a huge klutz, but you already knew that. I like to make jokes that no one laughs at, and I like to music that is kind of embarrassing. In other words, I'm kind of a dork and I was afraid you wouldn't like me if you knew the real me." I explained. I wasn't paying attention and accidentally cut myself. "Fuck! This is why I should never handle a knife."

I went to wash my finger. I forget that it kind of ruined the dinner in the show. I keep forgetting things until they happen. I didn't look in the window so I wouldn't see the vamp part. I hoped we could still eat. I realized he got better and I kissed him again.

Ashley's POV

I was in my room doing homework when suddenly a crow appeared at my window. Was Damon trying to find Caroline's? I still don't know how he managed to do that.

The next day I went to the car wash. I went a white tunic, black vest and shorts also sunglasses. Caroline was explaining the rules to Elena who was at the cashbox.

Taylor's POV

I was preparing to get ready. I decided to go all out and wore a blue and white striped bikini with a blue sarong. Stefan came up to me. He wasn't exactly dressed for the part.

"The event is called Sexy Suds." Caroline told him.

"Did she just scold me?" He asked.

"I think she just wants everyone to see that sexy bod of yours." I suggested. This is wanted to see. "Do you need any help with it?"

I noticed Logan was there. I wasn't looking to go anywhere with him. I wasn't going to play the game where I didn't know that Stefan was a vampire. I have to admit, he was good at what he does: both journalism and being charming. Jenna seemed to be eating it up. I wish I could tell her that he was only dating her so he could steal Jeremy's watch.

Stefan and I were working on a car together. I wish it could have been sexier. I'm betting that if I tried to wash it with my body, I would slip off the hood and hit my head on the pavement.

"So how did you get those rings?" I asked. It would make him think I was interested.

"It's a family ring." He explained. "It's from the Italian Renaissance."

"I'm guessing it's like stuck on your finger because you never take it off." I joked.

"Something like that." He replied.

"That stone looks familiar." I replied. "Is it a lapis lazuli?"

"Yes." He replied. "How'd you know?"

"I'm a girl. I know jewelry." I explained. If he could play up Italian stereotypes, then I could joke about female ones.

Ashley's POV

I was washing cars by myself. I do not like being out in the sun this much. I knew Caroline was about to leave because Damon was going to call her to him somehow. I still didn't know how he did that. It seems like Damon had all of these abilities that the writers just forgot about as the show went on.

"Hey, Ash, can you get some more towels?" Caroline requested. I sighed and went inside the school. The lights were out and it wasn't creepy at all. I went towards the janitor's closet and I found the door was locked. How was I supposed to get the towels? I walked around and I swear I heard Damon asking me for help. He was doing it to me. I needed to get away before I was under his spell. After a little while, I found myself…walking.

I walked toward the boarding house. I needed to get Damon out. I needed to get Damon out. I knew that it was wrong, but I needed to get Damon out.

Taylor's POV

"So is there anything that you wanted to tell me that you didn't get a chance to last night?" Stefan asked me.

"I cannot get enough of CW shows." I remarked. "I mean I watch just about everything. So what kind of TV that's on right now do you like?"

"Well I stick mostly to comedy." He admitted. "I like _Big Bang Theory_, _Scrubs, and How I Met Your Mother." _

"Your there's a movie like _How I Met Your Mother_." I remarked. "It's called _Definitely, Maybe. _It's basically what the show would be like if they didn't focus on the wacky friends and just talked about the actual story of how he met her mother. I mean are the friends' lives really that important? I don't think the kids care."

"Okay…" He replied.

"Sorry, I sometimes rant about what's wrong with things." I remarked. Back home, Ashley had been on the receiving one when I went into a diatribe about how wrong Bonnie was for Jeremy.

"Also, I want to set my brother up with my best friend." I added. "Now you know pretty much everything there is to know about me. So what does Salvatore mean anyway?"

"It means savior." Stefan replied. Yeah, that name fit him since he had saved me from the car accident.

Ashley's POV

I reached the boarding house. I had to go inside and let Damon out. I had to find him and let him out. It was what I had to do. I heard his voice calling me toward him. There was a crow, but I didn't pay any attention to it. The door wouldn't open, so I found another one and opened it. I closed the door and walked down the stairs. I walked down the hallway before I found the cell where he was being hidden.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked as I looked at him.

"Because it didn't work with your sister." He replied. He got us and walked over to the door. He was in pretty bad shape. "I need you to open the door. I need you to open the door."

I needed to open the door. He needed me to open the door. I began to unlock before Zach came and snapped me out of my trance. Oh my god, I was in the boarding house. Damon hadn't used Caroline to get him out. He had somehow used me. I then noticed the door was open and Damon was rushing out.

"Run!" Zach commanded. He didn't have to tell me twice. Damon quickly broke his neck as I hightailed it out of there. I ran out into the sun, thankful that he didn't have his ring.

Taylor's POV

I'm glad that I didn't leave because I was having a good time with Stefan. I then knew something else was supposed to happen, but I wasn't sure what. Then I noticed Bonnie was staring at a puddle and it suddenly turned into fire. Stefan and I were the only ones who noticed. He rushed over and snapped her out of the trance.

I told Stefan goodbye and went home. As soon as I got there, I got a call from Ashley.

"What's up?" I asked.

"We have a problem." Ashley replied. "You know Damon did that thing to Caroline?"

"Yeah…" I replied. I suspected that she would have let him out by now.

"He didn't do it to Caroline. He did it to me. I don't know how to he did, but one minute I was at the car wash and the next thing I remember I was running for my life." Ashley explained. "Taylor, this is a big problem. I don't know if I want to still be here."

"We don't know how to get back." I explained. "I have to go. I have to go see Stefan. I can't take this anymore. I need him to know that I know."

"Be careful." She instructed.

I went out to the car and drove to the boarding house. I knew I would be okay because Damon should be at the cemetery. I went to the door as it opened and saw Stefan holding the stake that he planned to use to kill Damon.

"Stefan…I know." I told declared. "I know you're a vampire."

So I heard some complaints about Taylor being too much like Elena and I made her realize it. Also, Ashley got her wish when she asked for Caroline not to let Damon out. I definitely wasn't the way that she wanted. And I answered the question of which Miley song Stefan was referring to. Please don't forget to review.


	7. Lost Girls

1864

Stefan walked out to greet the carriage as it was arriving. His family would be receiving a guest. An African-American girl stepped out first and there was followed by a gorgeous brunette.

"You must be Miss Billings." He remarked.

"My friends call me Veronica." She stated with a curtsy.

Taylor's POV

"Stefan…I know." I told declared. "I know you're a vampire."

"What are you going to do about it?" He asked.

"I don't know. It's hard to believe." I replied. Well it was hard to believe I was here. "I don't know if I should be able to trust you."

"You can trust me." He replied as he put the stake down. "Everything you know is about to change. Can you handle that?"

"I need to go." I replied. That's what the rational person would do when they find out their boyfriend is a vampire. Plus I needed to get home. Stefan really didn't want me to go. I ran. I ran as fast as I could. If I ran, I knew he'd follow me back. He stood in front of my car. That vampire speed is kind of freaky when you first see it.

"Let me go, Stefan!" I ordered.

"Please don't be afraid." He stated. I didn't say anything and just rushed to the car. I drove home and headed inside. I pretty much expected he would be in my room. "Taylor, please don't run. I would never hurt you. You're safe."

"What about the animal attacks?" I questioned.

"All of that was Damon." He explained. "I don't drink human blood."

You know I was actually afraid. I don't why I was afraid. I knew all of this stuff.

"Promise me that you won't tell anyone about this." He declared as I breathed deeply. "Promise me you won't tell."

"I don't know if I can do that." I declared. I probably wouldn't, but it would be really nice spending the day with him.

"Knowing this is dangerous." He explained. "Hate me if you want, but please trust me."

"Please leave." I requested. "If you mean no harm, then you'll leave."

"I didn't want you to find out like this." He declared before he went out the window. I knew he was going to be outside all night, but I really needed to sleep right now.

In the morning, I dressed myself in a plaid shirt with a white tank underneath and jeans. I put my hair in a ponytail before putting my necklace on. I knew Stefan was outside, but texted him to meet me at the Grill for breakfast.

Ashley's POV

I was at school in white tank top, grey jacket, black skirt with pink roses on it and black heels. I knew that Taylor likely wouldn't be at school today. I also saw Jeremy, in the courtyard for a change. I think he and Vicki had had a fight, and he was now at least temporarily off drugs. I knew that there was a problem with Vicki that would happen soon, but it was okay for me to talk to him now.

"No stoner den today?" I asked.

"No." He replied. "I can't talk. I'm looking for Vicki."

"Are you sure she didn't decide to skip today?" I asked.

"I don't know." He replied.

"Well if you can't find her, I could walk with you to class." I offered.

"You said you would explain things, so start talking." I ordered. "What's real and what's not when it comes to vampires?"

"We need to be invited into a house, have to drink blood, and we can't be in the sun." Stefan explained.

"You go out in the sun." I pointed out.

"Damon and I have these rings that allow us to walk in the sun." He explained.

"Why did you let Damon get involved with Caroline?" I asked.

"I couldn't stop him. I gave my only vervain to you." He explained. "It's your necklace. It prevents compulsion. I did correct it in the end. I'm sorry it happened, but she won't remember it."

"Do you know about any others in Mystic Falls?" I asked. I think Anna was supposed to be here. I don't know if she turned Ben yet.

"Damon and I are the only ones I know about." He stated. "There haven't been any others in a while."

"What others?" I asked. Were there ones that weren't captured?

"There used to be a lot more vampires here and the town knew about it." He told me

"Were they all killed?" I asked.

"I don't know the exact number, but 27 were. Give me today." Stefan bargained. "After today if you still want to tell people, you can."

We drove out to the old Salvatore house. It was pretty much in the middle of the woods.

"What is this place?" I asked like I shouldn't know.

"This used to be my home." He declared.

"That's pretty cool that you've lived here for so long." I remarked. "How old are you exactly?"

"I've been 17 since 1864." He responded. "This place was my home fifty years before the boarding house was built. Damon and I were born here."

1864

Stefan and Damon were playing football.

"Where'd you learn this game?" Stefan asked his brother.

"Camp outside Atlanta: one of the officers picked it up at Harvard." Damon explained as he threw the ball at Stefan. "Catch."

"Wait, what are the rules?" Stefan asked as Veronica stepped out.

"Why play by any rules?" She questioned. "Can I play?"

"You could get hurt." Stefan replied. "My brother likes to play rougher."

"I'd bet you play rougher." Veronica giggled before swiped the ball and began to run.

"Don't just stand there, brother." Damon instructed. "That is a woman that wants to be chased. If you don't do it, I will."

The two of them rushed after her.

Present Day

"So you and Damon both loved her and she turned you into vampires?" I asked, hoping he was going to say that.

"She was an amazing girl." He stated.

1864

"You can't catch, my love." Veronica taunted as she ran from him. She ended up at the statue. "Ha! I win again. What's my prize?"

"How about me?" Damon asked. He was dressed in uniform.

"They extended your leave?" Stefan inquired.

"I was having too much fun to return to battle." Damon joked.

"Your commitment to the Confederacy is inspiring." Stefan quipped

"Well I need an escort to the Founder's Ball." Veronica replied. Both brothers volunteered. She giggled at them. "Stefan, you were here first. Would you like the honor?"

Present

"That was when you signed the registry." I declared. He nodded.

"I didn't care about Damon's feelings. I just knew I wanted her." Stefan explained.

"What did Damon do?" I asked.

"He got even." Stefan replied. "That night, she slept with him."

"So you had her first, but he slept with her first?" I asked.

"She wanted both of us and compelled us to get it." Stefan explained. I don't know what being compelled was like. Ashley wasn't actually compelled. I don't know what that was. It probably wasn't something that I wanted to feel. "We were unable to resist her."

"Is that Damon's ring?" I asked, even though I knew it was.

"I have to give it back to him." He replied. "He told me that he would go after you if I didn't."

"That's a pretty good reason to give it back." I agreed.

Ashley's POV

I was in my Biology class with Jeremy. I can't believe that they never showed anyone in class except for when it was History.

"So I will assign projects. I will be going alphabetically" The generic teacher said before they went down the roll. I then heard my name. 'Ashley Forbes. You will be working with Jeremy Gilbert."

I smiled. I also hoped that he would do work on this.

After school, we were at his house. We went to his house and began to look through the book for something that we could work on.

"So I'm not going to have to do all of the work, am I?" I asked. "I know you're failing this class."

"I can do work if I apply myself." He argued before I heard the doorbell. I wonder who that was. I went with him downstairs and he opened the door to see Vicki. She was wearing sunglasses. This was definitely not good. She was in transition.

"The sun is killing me. My eyes are on fire." She complained. I don't think that she even saw me. I knew I didn't want to be around her while she was in transition.

"Vicki, where you been?" He asked.

"It's good. Everything's good." Vicki replied before she started to kiss him.

"I'm just gonna go." I declared as I went out the door. I also made sure to send Taylor a text to let her know, even though she already knew. It was a force of habit.

Taylor's POV

Stefan opened the door to my car for me as I got the text from Ashley. Vicki had arrived at the house. I wasn't going to tell him that she was in transition because I wasn't supposed to know what that even meant.

"You said that Veronica compelled you. Can I get you to promise that you will never do that to me?" I asked.

"I would never mess with your free will." He vowed. "Even if you do break up with me, I want you to keep that necklace. It will also protect you from vampires, including myself. You'll always be free to make your own choices."

At home, Vicki was freaking out. Jeremy had called Matt and things really weren't going well. She was a wreck like any transitioning human would be. She had no idea what was going on and neither did Matt or Jeremy. They then noticed Logan on the TV talking about what happened at the cemetery. She shoved Jeremy into the couch.

It was then that Stefan and I walked into the house.

"Is everything alright here?" I asked. I imagined Elena was at cheerleading hence why she was not here.

"No, she's really messed up." Matt answered.

"Back up." Stefan instructed. "Vicki, look at me. Focus. You're gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine. Guys, take her up to bed. Shut the blinds. She's going to be fine."

"What's wrong with her?" I asked.

"She's transitioning." Stefan told me.

"Transitioning to what?" I asked. I knew, just as I knew things were not going to end well for her.

"A vampire." He declared. "She's not one yet, though. Damon must have gotten to her. Maybe she was at the cemetery last night. She's brand new. She hasn't completely the transformation."

"How does she complete the transformation?" I inquired.

"She needs to feed on human blood." Stefan explained.

"What happens if she doesn't?" I responded.

"She'll die." He replied. Those were pretty high stakes at which neither choice was a good one. "She may only have a few hours."

"She could attack my brother." I remarked. "She could attack my brother who is in the same room as her."

"She doesn't know anything about it." Stefan explained.

"What's going to happen when she does know?" I asked. "I cannot have her under any circumstance trying to feed on my brother, Stefan."

"As she gets deeper in the transition, memories will come back and she'll get hungrier." He continued. "She'll know that she has to make the choice."

"Will she know it's a choice?" I asked. "I want her out of here, Stefan. She's too dangerous like this."

Vicki then ran downstairs and out the door. Matt went looking for her and she was gone pretty quickly. I don't know if increased speed was part of the transition. We all went outside as Elena got home from cheer practice.

"What's going on?" My twin asked, obviously out of the loop. There was still cheer practice despite no football team because the cheerleading squad covered more than just football.

"Vicki's gone." Jeremy yelled. "She was fine a few ago and then she just took off.

"I'm gonna go look for her." Matt declared. Elena immediately got inside of her boyfriend's truck.

"I can track her." Stefan told me. Of course he could.

"Then do it." I told him.

Stefan ran out and I watched.

I stayed with Jeremy to make him so dinner. He really didn't seem like he wanted to eat that much. I really wish he hadn't fallen for Vicki. We would have a lot trouble if he didn't.

"Maybe we should check in with Matt and Elena." He suggested.

"He said that he'd call." I explained. I know he wasn't going to find her. Stefan was going to find her. I hope that Damon would still show up because…I don't want to think about what would happen if he didn't.

"What are we supposed to do then?" He asked.

"We eat and we wait for news." I told him. "Jeremy, I know that you're worried, but we just have to believe that she'll be fine. It's all we can do."

"I have no idea what's wrong with her." He declared.

"Well do you know any drugs that can cause that kind of behavior?" I asked.

"Meth, maybe, but I'm pretty sure no one makes it in town." Jeremy replied. All that I knew about meth came from watching _Breaking Bad_ and I could never get into _Breaking Bad._ Maybe it had to do with the fact that they had the dad from _Malcolm in the Middle_ as the main character.

The doorbell rang. I thought it might have been Stefan, but it wasn't. It was Damon. This was not good.

"Go upstairs, Jeremy." I instructed.

"You seem like you're trying not to be afraid of me." He commented. "So did Stefan finally tell you everything?"

"Go away, Damon." I told him.

"Tell me where Stefan and I will." He promised. "May I come in? Oh wait, I've been invited."

He stepped in and I backed up. There was no way that he would actually bite me, was there.

"I'm not going to kill you right now." He explained. "Just tell me where my little brother is."

"He's looking for Vicki." I replied. "And he has your ring, so you better hurry."

"Tell Stefan I said hi." He remarked before he went out the door.

Stefan found Vicki crying against a tree. She told him about how she was regaining her memories. He tried to convince her to not turn, explaining that it would all be over. She seemed to agree to it before Stefan was suddenly shot by Logan. He fell to the ground with a wooden bullet in his chest. Logan went to stake him, but before he could do so, Damon showed up and killed him. He removed the bullet from his chest before Vicki began to drink his blood. Stefan also gave the ring back before Vicki ran off. Damon grabbed the watch before the two of them retreated.

Stefan came back alone. I knew he was about to tell me what happened.

"Did you find her?" I asked.

"Yes, but I lost her." He replied. "She fed. She's a vampire."

"I don't know what I'm going to tell Jeremy." I responded.

"I'll find her and teach how to live with killing people or even feeding from them." Stefan replied.

"She can only come out at night. Am I supposed to tell Jeremy that she has mono? And what about Matt, are you going to try to convince him that your house is like rehab?"

"You want to break up, don't you?" Stefan asked.

"Yes, I want to." I replied. "I know I should break up with you, but the thing is, I can't. I know you're no good for me and I don't care, but you can't keep secrets from me."

He gave me a hug before he went to find her.

Ashley and Jeremy interacted! That's good news. Plus, Taylor and Stefan didn't break up. Plus we got our first look at Veronica. Yes she seems a lot like Katherine, but there are some differences, like how her last name is different. Please don't forget to review.


	8. Haunted

Taylor's POV

I woke up. It was Halloween and I knew that today was likely Vicki's last day. I went and got dressed for school. I found Jeremy in the bathroom.

"Sorry." I apologized.

"No, I'm done." He stated.

"You're up surprisingly early." I quipped.

"The police are organizing a search party for Vicki." He explained.

"You have school. Don't you and Ashley have a project to work on?" I asked.

"You're kidding, right?" He asked. I wish I could tell him Vicki was fine. I don't think he'd buy or like the mono excuse. I had to think of something.

"The police can find her. You shouldn't skip school. Your grades probably aren't very good right now." I replied. "If they find her, you have your cellphone."

"All I'm hearing is blah-blah-blah." He declared.

Later, I went to the boarding house. I rang the bell and the door was answered by…Damon. Great.

"I'm looking for Stefan." I explained.

"Yup." Damon answered.

"Where?" I asked, not wanting to play Damon's games.

"Good Morning to you, Taylor." He replied.

"How is it that you can manage to be such a pompous douchebag all the time?" I asked him as I crossed my arms.

"How can be so foolish to call a vampire a pompous douchebag?" He challenged.

"Because I know that you won't kill me." I stated. He was going to fall in love with me, which I didn't want, but it guaranteed he wouldn't kill me. "Now tell me. Where can I find my boyfriend?"

"He's upstairs playing Henry Higgins." Damon explained.

"You know my generation doesn't know anything about _My Fair Lady_. It's all about _She's All That_. The guys seem less gay in it."

"That can't be taken as offensive in any way." Damon commented. I guess he may have been right.

"I'm serious. The guys seem more interested in each other than they do in her." I pointed out. I then wondered why I was arguing Golden Age movies with him. I walked in as Damon walked out. Yay for that, at least.

"Stefan…" I called.

"Yes?" He asked from the stairs. That vampire speed would still take some getting used to.

"I need to know where Vicki is." I told him.

"She's upstairs." He replied as he came down and gave me a hug and kiss on the lips. It was nice.

"What are you going to do about her? My brother and half the town are looking for her and I don't know what to tell him." I questioned.

"I'm working on it, but this is going to take time because she has a very volatile and kind of has very strong cravings for blood." He explained.

"You're saying that she's a vampire with a boatload of issues." I stated. "I can't keep lying to my brother or Matt or his girlfriend, who happens to be my sister. I need to know what I'm lying about at least. What is going to happen to her?"

"I'm keeping her here with me." He responded. "She needs more time."

"How much time?" Vicki asked from the top of the stairs.

"We'll talk about it later." Stefan said, as if he was a parent talking to a child. I debated whether or not I should say anything.

"Hey, Vicki, are you okay?" I asked. She just glared at me and didn't dignify it with a response.

Ashley's POV

I was at school. I had already picked out my costume so I didn't have to worry about Caroline picking for me. I followed her as she walked over to Bonnie.

"I have got your costume." She chirped at the witch. She had appropriately chosen a witch costume. Bonnie didn't seem to like it.

"Seriously?" Bonnie asked.

"Come on. Can someone else please be excited that it's Halloween?" Caroline whined. "I just wanna have fun. Some silly fluffy Damon-free fun."

"I'm excited." I declared.

"Every day is Halloween for you." She told me. Ouch.

"Hey, isn't this the one you got from Damon?" Bonnie asked, holding Emily's crystal.

"Wear it, toss it, give it to some homeless person, I don't care." Caroline stated. She would care as soon as Damon came looking for it. "I just want it gone. Have you seen Taylor? Do we know what she's wearing?"

"You know she always comes dressed as a book character." I stated. Well the Taylor I knew did anyway. I remember last year when she dressed as Luna Lovegood. She bleached her hair and it took her a while to get back to her natural shade.

"Maybe she's with Stefan?" Bonnie suggested. "I've been with Grams all weekend so I don't know."

"She must be riding to a castle on a white horse with him." Caroline quipped. No, that's a Klaus thing.

"No need to be jealous, Care." I told her.

Taylor's POV

I was with Stefan and Vicki as he lectured her on coffee.

"What if I want to drink human blood?" Vicki asked.

"You'll have to live with that urge." Stefan responded. "You have to fight it one day at a time."

"Don't give that whole 12 Steps speech. School counselor tried it and it doesn't work." Vicki groaned.

"I can work." Stefan argued. It was like talking to a brick wall…with boobs. "It's your choice, Vicki."

"So have you ever had human blood?" Vicki asked. Yes, he has.

"It's been a while." He replied.

"How long?" She persisted.

"Does it matter?" I asked. "He can do it and so can you."

"I did some things I'm not proud of." Stefan declared. Understatement.

"Does this sketchy feeling ever go away?" Vicki asked. "It's like I have a massive hangover and this no going in the sun thing is a bitch. I need more blood. I have to pee. Why do I have to pee? I thought I was dead."

This was going to be fun. Stefan directed her to the bathroom and she walked off. I let out a sigh.

"I'm gonna get her some more blood." He told me as he got up. "I'll be right back."

I stood up because I needed to stretch my legs. As soon as he left, Vicki came back.

"False alarm. My body's all fucked up, but it's a good kind of fucked up." She declared. I guess in the non-TV version, Vicki cursed like a sailor. I knew noticed she had her phone out.

"You better not be calling Jeremy." I responded.

"Why shouldn't I call him?" She responded.

"Because you're a vampire and you could hurt him." I reminded her.

"Don't you start. I'm gonna see whoever I want." She replied. "I would never hurt Jeremy."

"You don't know what you're capable of right now." I told her as I walked closer. "I don't want you near my brother."

"Oh really, how long have you been saving this 'You're not good enough.' speech? I'm betting it predates the whole vampire thing." She responded.

"I don't want Jeremy involved with any vampire." I replied. Okay, maybe I would support him and Anna, because they were cute together, but I still think Ashley should get her shot first. "You cannot see Jeremy anymore."

"Or what?" Vicki challenged. She then grabbed me by the neck and held me against the wall. It was getting hard to breathe. "Let's get some straight you snarky bitch. You are not my mother. You are not my friend. I don't really give a damn about your opinion. I will see whoever I want, whenever I want. I have some fun new toys and I'm not afraid to use them."

She let me go and I had to cough a few times. Okay, she hated me as much as she did Elena. Well, she probably likes Elena more than me.

Immediately after, I stood outside with Stefan, still clutching my neck. God, it hurt.

"She threatened me." I told him.

"She's on edge. Imagination everything you know…" Stefan started.

"She hurt me, Stefan!" I cut him off. "I don't feel safe around her. I feel safer around Damon because at least I know he wants to keep me alive for now. Is there any time table for when she'll be better, because I don't want come if I'm gonna be choked?"

"It took me a long time before I had someone helping me." He explained. "I can teach her. What it's important is it's going to be a while before she can see Jeremy. She could hurt him or worse. I'm not going to let anybody get hurt."

"I'm gonna go. I can't be here now." I told him.

"Taylor…" He tried to reason.

"I can't do it, Stefan." I responded. "I really like you, but I may need a brace. We may need to cool off until we get this sorted out. Give me some time to think about this. At this moment, we're still together."

That night, I walked into the kitchen for dinner. Jeremy was on the phone. Elena came in holding her phone.

"Matt called. Vicki's home." She declared. Damon had been stupid enough to take her outside.

"That sounds like good news." I stated. It wasn't good news. I hoped she managed to not hurt him. She would also be at the carnival.

"So do you two wanna go to the Halloween party?" Elena asked. "I mean yeah, I forgot a costume, but I have last year's."

I had my costume picked out. I was going to go as Katniss Everdeen from _The Hunger Games._ It was a lot less popular in this world. I don't think it was even done yet.

"Sure, why not?" Jeremy replied with much enthusiasm.

"She's going to be okay, Jeremy." I replied. "She just needs some time to herself. You've enabled her in the past, and while I'm not saying you'll do it again, she needs some time alone to focus on getting better."

"For months after Mom and Dad died, Vicki was the one thing that made me happy. I felt worthless and she made me feel better." Jeremy responded. This wasn't going to end well. "You may not see it, but I love her and I need to be with her."

Ashley's POV

I was at the party. I was dressed as a ballerina with a green top and white tutu. I really did love Halloween. I just wish it was less monster movie. Caroline and Bonnie were watching the witch's brew aka punch bowl. I'm glad I wasn't dressed as a witch.

I noticed Elena was dressed as a nurse like in the show.

"So we have Katniss, sexy nurse and Todd in the Shadows?" I asked referring to Jeremy.

"I don't know who that it is." Jeremy declared.

"He's a guy on the internet who reviews songs." I explained. "You look good. So are we ever gonna work on our project?"

"I have a lot going on and I don't have time." He remarked.

Taylor's POV

I decided to let the two of them talk for now before I noticed Josh dressed as a pirate.

"Who are you supposed to be?" He asked me.

"I'm Katniss from _The Hunger Games_." I replied. I felt like a dork because the books weren't popular yet.

"Well you look nice. I will give you points for creativity, but I think Vicki has got you beat." He explained.

"She's here?" I asked. "I knew she was, but I didn't like hearing it.

"Yeah, she's a vampire." He told me.

"I have to go find my brother." I declared as I walked away.

I went inside the school. They had done a good job at making the place look scary. I think it might cause someone with epilepsy to have a seizure.

I found her with Stefan and then Matt showed up. Vicki started a fight between Stefan and Matt so she could sneak off. I tried to get their attention, but Matt was too angry at Stefan.

"Guys!" I interrupted. "Vicki ran away."

I ran after her. I knew this wasn't a good idea, but I cared about right now was protecting Jeremy.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy didn't really want to talk to me. I wanted to keep him away from Vicki, but it wasn't working. I couldn't keep stalling him.

I decided to go find Caroline, but she was drinking with Elena and Tyler. I sighed, knowing that there was nothing that I could do. Maybe I could do something with him after Vicki's dead. This is going to be so hard for everyone. I feel so helpless.

I knew noticed Damon.

"So where can I find your sister?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk to you, but you need to stay away from my sister." I told him as a looked away from him. He couldn't compel me if I wasn't looking at him and there were too many people watching.

"She has something of mine and I want it." He declared.

I decided to bolt into the school before he could say anything else. I would hang out with a crowd, even though I hated crowds. Being in a crowd was better than being compelled. I wish I had vervain, but there is no one I can ask about it. It's not like they just sell it in stores.

After several minutes of walking, I remembered where Jeremy was. He was outside by the buses with her. I didn't know what I was going to do if she attacked me. I heard Jeremy scream. She was in full-on monster mode. I grabbed the first weapon that I could find. I swung at her with a 2x4, but it broke on her. She then pushed me back against a palette of wood. Okay, now I'm in a lot of pain. Stefan and held her back, before she broke free. She had a little of Jeremy's blood and was stronger than Stefan. I ran for the door, but she bit into my neck. Worried that she would kill me, Stefan staked her and she fell over before she turned grey and desiccated.

"Vicki, no!" Jeremy cried. She was dead. She was really dead. Stefan pulled the stake out and held him back. He was hysterical. Elena had erased his memories. I knew I wasn't Elena, but could I do what she did to try to protect him?

"Please take him home." I cried. Stefan took him away. Then, Damon showed up to take care of the body. "You did this."

"If Stefan wasn't so hesitant in letting her learn to feed properly, this wouldn't have happened." Damon argued. I didn't want to admit it, but he had a point. I was in a lot of pain. "Is this where you ask me for some blood?"

"I don't want your blood, Damon." I told him. I wasn't that badly hurt. It would all heal. It wasn't like I didn't already have scars. "This happened because you gave her your blood."

I began to walk away and there I found Josh and Ashley.

"What happened?" Ashley asked as she noticed my bloody costume.

"Some idiot with fake blood." I lied using same excusing as Elena did. "I'm fine. I'm just gonna go home."

I drove home and found Stefan outside.

"Is he okay?" I asked.

"No, he's really shaken up." He replied.

I went to see Jeremy.

"Why does everyone have to die on me?" He asked.

"She wanted to hurt us, Jeremy. I'm sorry, but it had to be done." I explained. "I can tell you everything, but you have to promise to keep this a secret. Don't tell anyone, not even Elena or Jenna. I love you, Jeremy. I want you to know that no matter what happens, I'll always be there for you. Although, there is another way. Damon can come in here and erase your memories, but only if you want to. You won't remember Vicki attacking you or being a vampire. You'll just think she ran away."

"I don't want to remember Vicki that way." He declared. "Do it."

I went downstairs and saw Stefan and Damon. At least I got his permission.

"Damon, can you please do me a favor?" I asked. "I need you to erase my brother's memories of what happened. He told me it was what he wanted. Tell him that she ran away and isn't coming back."

"Okay." Damon agreed before he went upstairs.

"Stefan, I love you." I told him.

"I love you, too, Taylor." He reciprocated.

She used the L word. Yes, I know Katniss was too predictable, but it was easy. And she had Jeremy's permission, so he won't be as mad when he finds out. Please don't forget to review.


	9. 162 Candles

Taylor's POV

A few days had passed. We had all just come out of the police station. I wore a white dress with a few black lines along the top and midsection. The first thing that I noticed was Stefan trying to talk to Matt. Trying as in Matt didn't seem to want anything to do with him. I looked at him and then over to Jenna who gave me permission with her eyes. I then went over and hugged him.

"Well Damon's compulsion seems to have worked. He doesn't remember much about last night." I explained. "I think I did the right thing, but it still doesn't feel right."

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I think so." I responded. "I don't think the Sheriff suspected anything, which is good."

"So can I take you somewhere for lunch?" He asked.

"I should really get home." I told him. I knew it was his birthday, but if I recall, he really wasn't in much of a celebratory mood. "I could come over to your house later."

Once I got home, I was being lazy on the couch.

"You're wallowing." Jenna commented.

"I'm not wallowing. Stefan and I are fine. I'm just exhausted." I explained. "But Logan is a jerk. I'm not gonna say I told you so."

"I knew he was trouble so shame on me." Jenna replied. Wow, she could write that song. "Still to get dumped by an email is humiliating."

I then heard the doorbell ring. Was that Stefan?

Ashley's POV

I stood outside the Gilbert house. I knew that with Vicki's death, Jeremy and I could finally work on our project, which we didn't have much time to do because it was due on Tuesday. Taylor answered the door.

"I'm here to see Jeremy." I stated.

"Don't you think it's a bit early to be making a move?" She whispered.

"We need to work on our project." I clarified. "It's due on Tuesday."

She let me inside and I found my partner.

"Are you two actually doing homework?" Jenna asked as in amazement.

"Yeah, is that a big deal?" I asked.

"What do you think? She's either a magician or a hypnotist." Jenna asked Taylor.

"You know we can hear you." Jeremy pointed out.

"We should head somewhere more quiet." I suggested. "Maybe we could work better in your room. By that, I mean we would solely be working."

Taylor's POV

I couldn't help but giggle as they went upstairs.

"You know I've always liked Ashley." Jenna commented. "And if she's getting him to do homework, she's obviously a good influence on him."

"I think it's a bit early for him to be starting some new, Aunt Jenna." I remarked before Elena walked in.

"How's Matt?" I asked.

"He's okay. He seems a little bit in denial." Elena remarked. "How's Jeremy."

"He's doing a project with Ashley." Jenna replied smugly. "I wouldn't even mind if he did something else with her while they're up there as well."

Okay, Jenna seemed to support Jeremy with Ashley as much as I did, but they needed to wait.

Later, I was taking a nap when Elena and Bonnie interrupted me.

"Go away!" I told them. "I wanna sleep."

They then pulled the covers off of me.

"Is everything okay with you and Stefan?" Bonnie asked.

"They're fine, so let me sleep!" I yelled. They wouldn't leave. "Guys, I'm really fine. I just had to get up really early and I'm tired."

They then left and I went to sleep.

Ashley's POV

"So I think we've made some progress." I declared to Jeremy. "I'm gonna go for now and I'll come back later tonight."

"Okay." He agreed.

I went home and changed into a sheer black dress, denim jacket, black stockings with matching gloves and boots. It was getting colder. I went out to town square to meet Caroline. I saw her and was about to walk over, before I saw her talking to Damon. She was resistant at first, but then he compelled her. I realized I should stay away until he was gone.

Once he disappeared, I walked over to her. I think I know what he told her.

"I'm throwing a party at the Grill and you're going to come." She told me.

"I have to work on my project with Jeremy." I argued.

"Bring him. You can work on the project with him there." She suggested.

"Something tells me that getting food or beverage on it is a bad idea." I replied. "Plus you really can't go back to Damon after what he did to you."

"What did he do to me?" She questioned. I sighed. '

Taylor's POV

I walked by Elena's room to Bonnie telling her she was a witch. Should I get involved with this?

"Taylor, Bonnie was telling me that she's a real witch." Elena told me. I guess I'm gonna be.

"Can you watch who you tell?" Bonnie requested. "Grams told me to keep this a secret."

"Then why did you tell me?" Elena asked.

"Because you two are my friends, I'm not going to keep secrets from you guys." Bonnie explained. Well that made me feel bad. I still felt like I should have his permission to tell people. I mean he doesn't know that Ashley knows.

I headed to the Salvatore house to see if it was okay for me to tell anyone. I did feel like I was forgetting something. I knocked on the door.

"It's open!" A female voice called. Now I remembered. Lexi was here. I walked in and there was Lexi in towel. "Oh my god. Who are you?"

I liked Lexi at first, but her appearances in Season four really started to bug me. At the moment, I couldn't remember why, but I liked her a lot less than I used to.

"I'm Taylor, you?" I reciprocated with a slight irritation.

"Lexi: I'm a friend of Stefan's." She answered. I couldn't remember if he was here or not.

"Is he here now?" I asked.

"He's in the shower." Lexi answered. "I wasn't in there with him. I promise. Would you like to wait for him?"

"No, I think I need to go." I remarked. She was really getting on my nerves. What did she do to make me dislike her so much?

"I'll tell him you were here." She promised.

Ashley's POV

I came to the Gilbert house right as Taylor was coming back.

"Oh, good, I don't have to knock." I declared. I then noticed that she looked upset. "Is everything okay with you?"

"I just saw Lexi." I replied. "It's Stefan birthday. Not only did I forget to get something, but I know I hate her, but can't remember why."

I tried to think about what she told me.

"I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with Damon." I replied before she opened the door.

Elena was there when we walked in.

"Ashley, I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you would be at Caroline's party." The brunette twin remarked.

"Well I have to put work above play." I replied. "Is Jeremy still here right now? We have to finish."

"Yeah, he's in his room." She replied before I went upstairs.

Taylor's POV

"Caroline's having a party?" I asked.

"Yeah, at the Grill." Elena replied. "Do you wanna get ready?"

"How about I just meet you there?" I asked. I went to get a coat and soon there was a knock at the door. It was Stefan this time.

"I came by earlier." I heard.

"I know. Lexi told me." He replied. I scowled at her name. He noticed my expression. "No, it's really not like that. Lexi is my oldest friend. There have never been any benefits either."

"Well I saw her in the towel and I assumed." I replied. "I'm sorry for not trusting you. So I didn't know you had vampire friends."

"It's really just her." He corrected.

"Can I ask why not?" I questioned curiously. "I mean she is hot."

"She has a boyfriend." He responded. Oh, yeah, what's his name.

"Well she was staring at me." I remarked. "I'm not sure if she likes me."

"She probably just felt like she knew you. I haven't really had a girlfriend since I've known her." He remarked. "I've been talking about you nonstop since she got here."

Okay, that is pretty romantic.

"So there's this party tonight at the Grill." I stated. "Do you want to go with me?"

"I heard about it. Lexi was taking me for my birthday." Stefan responded.

"It's your birthday? I really wish I got you something." I feigned.

"I have all I ever need with you." He declared. Okay, I almost fell back into his arms.

Ashley's POV

I brought a bag of popcorn over to Jeremy. We were currently in the kitchen.

"We're going to need something to eat if we're gonna do this." I told him with a smile.

"We need to eat more than just popcorn." He replied

"Well I can't cook, can you?" I challenged.

"No, but we can order some Chinese." He suggested.

"Yeah, I guess that would work too." I agreed.

Taylor's POV

I walked into the Grill with Stefan as I noticed that he was looking for Lexi.

"Finally, you're here." Lexi replied as she walked over to us. "I've got shots."

"Of what?" I asked.

"Well hello again, Taylor." She stated. "So you too should totally dance together."

"I'm not good at dancing." I replied. "I have two left feet and I don't think he wants me to step on his."

"Come on." Lexi replied as she pushed us onto the dance floor. I guess I was supposed to move to the music or something. This was embarrassing.

"Well she seems…interesting." I declared.

"She just wants me to have a good time." He responded. "I've done some pretty crazy things with her."

"You have to tell me about this." I remarked. "What did you jump off the Statue of Liberty naked or something?"

"No we got drunk on the statue liberty." He explained. "Just to ease you further, I have seen her naked a few times and it's never really done anything for me."

"Can't she hear you right now?" I asked.

"Yeah, and she's probably going to smack me for saying that." He responded. I smiled at that. "Hey, I think I see her calling us over to the pool table. Come on."

"You go. I suck at pool. I have to pee anyway." I told him.

On my way back from the bathroom, I saw how happy he looked with Lexi.

"He's smiling." Damon told me as he suddenly appeared behind. "I think I need to go alert the media."

"Don't do that." I told him as I turned around to face him. "Besides, you haven't given him a reason to smile."

"I know I've caused his so much misery." Damon declared facetiously.

"Do you ever get tired of being you?" I asked him.

"No, do you?" He reciprocated.

"I have to go. I have a rash that gets worse in the presence of…you." I responded.

"You wound me." He replied.

"I would say that we're even, but you did a lot worse to my friend." I remarked as I walked away. I then noticed Stefan seemed to be getting some food.

"So, you don't look like you like me very much." Lexi commented. "I want you to know, I have a boyfriend and I happen to love him very much."

"Stefan told me about that." I replied. "I guess I'm just a little jealous of how you make him feel. He looks so happy when he's with you."

"When you know for 145 years, you can be yourself with them." She explained. "Don't worry, you'll get there. So how long have the two of you been going out?"

"Two months." I answered. "I'm surprised that he didn't tell you that."

"Well a guy's definition of dating and a girl's tend to be different." She explained. "So do you like tequila?"

"Not really." I answered.

"Well I can tell that Stefan really likes you." She declared. "You'll get to know the fun side of him very soon. Maybe it's this town. There really aren't that many fun things to do here."

"There a lot of fun things to do here?" I argued, for some reason defending a town that I had only lived in for about two months like I had been here my whole life. "I didn't know that you actually drank either."

"Drinking is the best way to curb the cravings and it happens to make us a lot more fun too." Lexi replied. "Don't tell me that you two have never stayed up all night drinking."

"I've never slept over at his house." I explained.

"Just wait until you sex with him." She told me. "I've never done it, but I have heard some of the sounds of the girls he's slept with. I can tell you that pretty much every vampire that is at least a hundred is very good at sex. It's a known fact."

I don't know how anyone could really find facts on vampires.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I had just finished our dinner. It was my first time having the Chinese from this world. I didn't finish my drink and had the bright idea to take it upstairs with me. It didn't even make it up the stairs as I missed the first step and fell backwards on my ass, causing the soda to fall all over me. I couldn't help but notice that he was laughing.

"This isn't funny." I replied as he stopped. "Okay maybe it is a little, but now I'm all wet."

"You can take a shower upstairs." He told me. "You can borrow some of Taylor's clothes."

I went upstairs and into the shower. I was a bit humiliated, but also glad I got him to laugh.

Taylor's POV

Lexi, Stefan, and I all took some seats at a table.

"So how do you like Bon Jovi?" Lexi asked me.

"I've never been to a show." I responded.

"You need to get Stefan to take you sometime." Lexi suggested. "He's really tight with Jon and Richie. You know I wanted to take him today, but he decided that he'd rather be with you. He's so crazy about you."

"She doesn't know what she's talking about." Stefan said.

"So you're not crazy about me?" I teased.

"Well maybe I am a little crazy about you." He admitted. Now I was even more confused to why I hated Lexi. I didn't really have a good reason. I felt really bad for it.

It was then that the sheriff came in with a girl. One of the deputies injected Lexi with vervain and dragged her away. They were blocking the exits, but I was pretty sure that I knew how to get out.

Ashley's POV

I walked out of the shower as Jeremy put my clothes in the washer. I grabbed Taylor's robe and decided I would just wait for my clothes to be done.

"You're not gonna change?" He asked.

"No." I replied. "It won't take that long. I'll just wait."

I sat on next to him on his bed as we looked over the book for anything else that we could put in the report. Well, I was looking at the book. He seemed to be looking at my cleavage.

"You wanna take a picture?" I asked with a giggle.

"Sorry." He replied as he looked away.

What happened next was a rather unexpected turn of events. He kissed me and one thing led to another and soon we were both naked. I looked over every inch of him. This was really happening.

"Don't worry about being too rough." I told him before I felt him slide inside of me. He thrust a few times before I felt the pain of my virginity breaking. I didn't know that I was a virgin here. "I'm okay. I promise."

What followed next was I would call the best moment of my life.

Taylor's POV

We went out through a back door. We went around the corner just in time to see Damon stake Lexi. I knew it was going to happen. Stefan looked enraged as Lexi died.

"I'm gonna kill him." Stefan declared.

"You can't." I replied.

"Why are you defending him?" He asked me. "He killed Zach. He killed Tanner. He turned Vicki. He needs to die."

"I don't want you to kill him because I know what it will do to you." I replied.

"I think you should go home, Taylor." He declared. "I have to do this."

I went home and walked to my room. I happened to notice that Jeremy and Ashley were asleep in bed together and my robe and Jeremy's clothes were on the floor before I went to my room.

I knew Damon would be okay, but this wouldn't be good for Stefan. I then began to cry for Lexi a little before I went to sleep.

So, it didn't take long for Jeremy and Ashley to get together, but it is possible it was rebound sex. Also, the girls seem to be forgetting what's happened in the show. How long will be before they start to think that they've always lived in Mystic Falls? Please don't forget to review.


	10. History Repeating

Ashley's POV

I walked into my house early in the morning. As good as having sex with Jeremy was, sneaking in was not that great.

"Ashley." My mom said. She might as well be.

"Hi…Mom." I stammered. I was so busted.

"You know you didn't have to sneak in. Jenna called saying that you fell asleep and were spending the night." She told me.

"Oh." I responded. I wasn't expecting that. I then headed to my room and got changed into a grey tunic dress with black tights. I put a black choker around my neck before adding some shoes.

Taylor's POV

Elena and I were talking to Caroline. I wore a translucent blue top and jeans with my hair in a ponytail.

"Have you even talked to Bonnie?" Elena asked.

"No, I'm mad at her. She needs to make the first move." Caroline answered.

"You should make it." I suggested.

"I can't. She's a thief." Caroline declared. "I gave her my necklace and she refuses to give it back. It's about principle."

"Well I tried." I stated.

"So, where's Stefan?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since last night." I answered. I hoped he would show up. "It's kind of complicated now."

I walked into History. Today was the day that Alaric was here. My favorite teacher had finally arrived, well at least before he turned evil. I watched that new show of his and it was…really bad.

"Good morning everyone." He greeted before he started to write his name on the board. "Alaric Saltzman. It's a mouthful, I know. It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Saltzman is of German origins, but I'm from Boston. Now the name Alaric belongs to a very dead great-grandfather I will never be able to thank enough. So you can call me Ric. I'm your new History teacher."

At lunch, I was sitting with Elena and Bonnie since Stefan still hadn't shown. He did lose his best friend. Maybe I should give him a little space. Bonnie was talking about Emily. I really hated Emily for being such a bitch. I didn't want Bonnie to become like her.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes." I answered. They stared at me. I knew they that were real.

"I think I'm being haunted." Bonnie replied. I knew how this was going to end and I didn't enjoy it. I really didn't want this to happen, but there was nothing I could do about it. I walked away because I didn't want to hear any more.

Ashley's POV

I ran into Jeremy in the hallway after he came out of Ric's classroom.

"Hey." I greeted him.

"Where'd you go this morning?" He asked.

"I had to go home, only I didn't because Jenna called my mom." I responded.

"I was thinking that maybe last night was a mistake." He declared.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Those were words that I didn't want to hear. "I thought it was really good."

"Yeah, but Vicki just left town and I don't want you to think that it was rebound sex." He told me. Damn it, I should have thought of this before I did it. "I don't think I'm ready to start something now."

"Yeah, me either." I lied. "I should get going."

After school, I went with Caroline to the car. It was then that she noticed Josh. Apparently they had done…something last night. The exact thing was something I wasn't sure of.

"Okay we need to talk about last night and how you snuck out this morning." Caroline told him. This seemed oddly familiar. "We cuddled. I don't appreciate that."

"I didn't want your mom to see me in your bed." Josh replied. Caroline realized that she just went off on him for no reason. She needs to avoid conclusion jumping.

Taylor's POV

After school, I found Stefan waiting for me. I went over and kissed him.

"Aren't you going to ask about Damon?" He asked before I kissed him again.

"Is he dead?" I questioned in between kisses.

"No." He replied.

"Then it's fine." I responded before he pushed away. "Did you have something else to say or something?"

"I'm not coming to school anymore." He declared. Okay that wasn't so bad. "I need to keep my distance. It's the right thing to do."

"Are you breaking up with me?" I asked. No, he can't. I don't wanna go all Bella Swan here.

"It's better this way." He stated.

"I can handle this, Stefan." I told him. "You can't run away from this."

"You're angry. It's good if you hate me." He replied.

"I don't nor will I ever hate you, Stefan." I declared, probably not even if he became a ripper and left with Klaus. I hoped that wouldn't happen.

I ended up walking home. I guess the fact that I might be able to get Stefan back after a short period of time, however long it was until the next episode was comforting. I didn't want to cry about this. Elena and Bonnie then arrived.

"Okay so the plan for the night is Bonnie, Caroline, and Ashley are spending the night." Elena declared.

"You look upset." Bonnie remarked to me.

"Stefan and I are kind of on a break." I explained. "I don't think we're officially over, but he said he needed space. He just found out a friend died. I'll see him in a few days."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Elena asked.

"He'll be fine." I replied. "He needs some time."

Later in the night, after both Forbes sisters had arrived, we were in the kitchen, unpacking takeout. I needed to talk to Ashley about Jeremy, but it could wait.

"I'm sorry." Caroline told Bonnie. "If you want the ugly-ass necklace, keep it. It's yours."

"Would you hate me if I told you that I threw it away?" Bonnie replied. I know it sounds crazy, but the necklace was giving me nightmares so I chucked it."

"I hate this part." I whispered to Ashley. She nodded with me.

"You could have given it to me." Caroline suggested.

"You would have given it to Damon." I pointed out.

"Screw Damon, are we doing manicures or what?" Caroline asked.

It was then that Caroline discovered the talisman and went off on Bonnie and Bonnie tried to explain she was a witch which Caroline didn't believe which caused Bonnie to leave the room.

I then dragged Ashley to the bathroom with me.

"I thought you said that you said you weren't gonna make a move." I reminded her. "Being naked in his bed is definitely a move and why were you wearing my robe?"

"It's a long story about the robe." Ashley admitted. "And basically the thing with Jeremy is over as soon as it began. This morning he told me it was a mistake. Maybe I should wait."

"Well you really can't wait too long." I pointed out. "You have to make a move before Anna gets to him without interfering with meeting Anna."

We stepped out of the bathroom around the same time that Caroline finished apologizing to Bonnie. We walked out to meet everyone.

"Let's have a séance." Caroline suggested. How did Caroline ever learn to do a séance anyway? "Let's summon some spirits."

"I'm pretty sure summoning spirits is a bad thing." I remarked before I walked upstairs. Let's get this over with.

We went to Elena's room and formed a pentagram. It seemed even worse this way. Caroline then proceeded to go into the whole séance shtick. Seriously, how did she learn to do a séance?

"Emily, you there?" Bonnie asked. Caroline opened her eyes and so did I. That was seriously the best that she could think of? I closed my eyes again.

"Can you at least try?" Caroline urged.

"Emily, if you're here, give us a sign." Bonnie declared before the candle suddenly ignited. We all broke apart.

"That's creepy." Ashley replied.

"It's just the air conditioning." Bonnie replied for it burned brighter.

"Ask her for another sign." Caroline instructed. "Emily can we see another sign?"

Suddenly the shutters opened and the candles blew out. This was all a lot creepier that it seemed like it would be. Then the necklace disappeared and Bonnie got locked in the bathroom. It was all very horror movie. Elena and Caroline beat on the door until it finally opened.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked.

"I'm fine." Emily answered.

"Unbelievable, you were totally faking it." Caroline declared. "Come on, Ash, we're leaving."

"Why do I have to go?" Ashley complained. She then seemed to remember something. "Okay, just let get my bag."

I could that she didn't want to be involved the whole Damon-Emily thing. I kind of wished that I didn't have to be.

"Are you okay, Bonnie?" Elena asked again. It's not Bonnie. She's possessed by Emily.

"I must go." Emily declared as she went down the stairs. I wish I knew an exorcist. I also wish that I never watched _The Exorcist_. That movie gave me nightmares for weeks.

"If she's leaving, we're leaving too." Caroline declared. So much for the sleepover.

"You guys can't leave." Elena protested.

"Yes, we can. I've had enough of supernatural mumbo-jumbo for one night." Caroline replied.

"Thank you for having me." Emily declared. "I'll take it from here."

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"Back to where it all began." Emily answered as she headed downstairs.

"Bonnie…Bonnie." Elena tried to stop her.

"I don't think that's Bonnie." I declared as Elena realized what I meant.

"Emily!" She shouted.

Emily turned to face us.

"I can't let him have it." She declared. Emily rushed out the door and then used her spell to trap us inside. After some banging, Jeremy came in from the outside.

"What the hell?" He asked.

"We had a great time, bye." Ashley declared as she pulled Caroline out with her.

"I'm calling Stefan." I told Elena as I dialed his number.

"What's wrong?" He answered.

"Bonnie's possessed by this ghost of her ancestor named Emily." I explained. "She said that she was going back to where it all began. Do you think that she meant Fell's Church? We need to do something, Stefan."

"Just stay there. I'll find her." He instructed before he hung up.

"He said to stay here." I told Elena.

"No, we need to go." Elena replied as she went out to her car. I sighed and followed her. I would have been content to let Stefan handle it. Elena began to drive. There was no real point to doing this. We couldn't do anything until she released Bonnie. Stefan was more than capable of handling everything here. After a little while, we had arrived at the church.

Ashley's POV

We got home and found Josh in the driveway.

"We are you doing here?" Caroline asked him.

"I wanted to apologize for my disappearing act this morning. I could have at least left a note. Anyway, I'm glad that you're here. I've been here for about an hour." Josh answered.

"Why didn't you just call?" I inquired.

"I really wanted to say this stuff in person." He replied.

Taylor's POV

We arrived just as Emily was throwing the talisman in the air to destroy it. Stefan held us back and it burst into a rain of embers. Bonnie then regained control. She looked around confused before Damon went over and suddenly bit into her neck. Stefan managed to save her life like I expected. Elena looked pretty confused as to what was going on. I was going to have a fun night. Bonnie woke up after consuming Stefan's blood and

"Her neck, it's healing." Elena commented in confusion. "How is she healing?"

"I'll explain when we get home." I promised.

Ashley's POV

Caroline, Josh, and I all went to the living room and had some snacks as we watched the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. I knew that wasn't going to turn out well for him. I noticed the two of them were cuddling. I never thought that Caroline and Liam from _90210_ would make a good couple because I wasn't into crossover shipping, but they looked really cute together.

Taylor's POV

"I don't understand what happened." Bonnie declared.

"You two wait in the car. I'll explain when we get back." I promised again as I waited for Stefan. I didn't want this to happen, even though I knew it wasn't going to happen. The two of them sat in the car before he walked over to me.

"You should probably watch over." Stefan instructed. "She'll probably be fine, but you may want to make sure."

"I'm gonna tell them, Stefan. They need to know what they just saw." I stated.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Elena is my twin sister. I can't just erase everyone's memories. I feel bad enough for doing it to Jeremy. I need to be able to talk to people about this. I promise I won't tell anyone else."

"Okay." He agreed.

"You know that you saved her." I replied. "You saved her life and I am grateful for that. I know that you need some time after Lexi's death, but I am here whenever you're ready and I want you to know that you don't have to be alone in this. I love you, Stefan. We can do this together."

"I have to do it myself." He countered. "I'm leaving. I can't let anyone else get hurt. I think everything would have been better if I hadn't come back."

"Stefan, it's not your fault. You're helped more than you hurt." I argued. "You have to stay. You can't just leave me like this. You can't do this to me, Stefan. I love you."

"It was a mistake, Taylor." He explained. "I can't be a part of your life anymore."

"You might think that you're protecting me, but you're not. All of the bad things are still going to happen when you're gone. You made me feel better after the accident. You can't leave. Please don't leave me. This is your home."

Stefan kissed my hand as tears began to run down my face. Why did it have to be like this?

"Goodbye, Taylor." He told me before he walked away. I didn't want to say anything. Elena got in the front and I got in the passenger side and she drove home.

So I really don't like this episode because I really hate Emily even more than Bonnie. Plus Caroline is hooking up with Josh. Everything will be okay will Taylor and Stefan. Please don't forget to review.


	11. The Turning Point

Taylor's POV

In the morning I had dressed myself in a blue tank top, jeans, and matching jacket. I walked by Jeremy's room and saw him drawing. I smiled as I walked downstairs. I found Elena and Jenna downstairs.

"Jeremy's drawing again." I remarked.

"Seriously?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, but if we say anything, he'll stop." I replied.

"Psychology major, got it." Jenna replied. "How are you and Stefan?"

"It's a stalemate. It doesn't matter anymore because he's leaving." I explained.

"Where's he going?" Jenna asked in surprise.

"I don't know." I responded. "I stopped asking questions once he stopped answering."

"Maybe it's for the best." Elena opined. She wasn't quite on board with the whole Stefan vampire thing, which surprised me a little.

"Yours leaves, mine comes back." Jenna responded.

"Logan's back?" Elena asked.

"I didn't let him past the front door." Jenna replied.

"That's a good thing, Aunt Jenna. Don't go back to him. He's hurt you too many times." I coached, and he was also a vampire.

"You're not even allowed to watch the news." Elena added.

Ashley's POV

I walked the school with Josh and Caroline. Why am I always the third wheel? I had on a simple white tunic with black leggings and a leather jacket with extra-long extensions. They were talking about the stuff that we had watched last night.

"Hey, I sat through _Family Guy_ and all its sexist humor. You need more of a backbone." Caroline teased him. Well at least she was happy.

Taylor then walked over and stole me away.

"So Caroline and Josh: that's different." She stated.

"Well, Matt isn't exactly available." I reminded her as we looked over to him and Elena. "He is better for him than Damon. I want her to be happy and she's happy now."

"Can't argue with that." Taylor replied.

"So did you talk to Stefan?" I asked.

"I'm hoping to see him tonight." She answered. "So I told Bonnie and Elena. They're handling it. You didn't have to bolt like that."

"It was too much drama for me." I admitted. "I'll leave that to you for now."

"So thoughtful of you." She quipped.

"So, Stefan has no idea that I know anything?" I asked.

"Yeah, and I'd like to keep it that way for now." She responded. "So I have to get to class. I will see you later. And try to talk to Jeremy."

Taylor's POV

After school, I walked outside. Some girl whose name I didn't quite remember told me goodbye. I then saw Stefan sitting on a table. I smiled because I knew he was staying.

"Hi." He greeted me.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked.

"There's another vampire in town." He told me. It was Logan.

"Any idea who it is?" I asked, pretending it wasn't Logan.

"Well it was somebody new because they were very sloppy, just leaving a body out in the open like that." He explained. "Either that or they're trying to send a message."

"I'm pretty sure Damon wouldn't be that stupid." I declared. Damon was at least trying not to get caught now.

"He's been trying to keep it on the down low." He told me. I smiled.

"You're not cool enough to use that phrase." I joked. I then realized it wasn't time for that. "So what's the plan?"

"Well I can't leave until we solve this." He declared. That was good for me. "I promised I would stop keeping secrets, so I'm telling you. Just be careful."

"I'm just glad that you're not leaving yet." I admitted. "I still think we have a chance, Stefan. You just have to want it like I do."

Ashley's POV

I stood on the doorstep of the Gilbert house. I knocked on the door. Jenna answered it.

"Hi, I'm here to see Jeremy." I stated.

"What are you doing here?" He asked me.

"I just was coming to see if you wanted to hang out." I replied as I looked over his sketchpad. "So what are you drawing?"

"Just some horror stuff." He told me.

"I like horror." I replied as I looked it over. "It's pretty good. I remember when you used to draw last year."

"Well I found this old journal of my ancestor's. He's a nutjob, but it inspired me." He explained.

"Jeremy, I'm just gonna cut to the chase here." I remarked. "I like you. The other night wasn't a mistake. I know you and Vicki just broke up, but…"

I didn't get to finish my sentence because his lips cut me off.

"I like you too." Jeremy explained after we were done kissing. I just don't want you to be subject to ridicule for dating the stoner."

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." I said. "Besides, you're not even doing drugs anymore. So are you going to this career thing?"

"Yeah." He replied.

"Then how about we make it our first date?" I suggested.

When we got there, we went to the art booth. To our surprise, Tyler was there. I mean he was supposed to be there, right?

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing, just surprised to see you here. Art implies culture and culture is not you." Jeremy remarked.

"Jeremy…" I started.

"Go to hell." Tyler instructed before he walked away.

"You don't have any reason to be talking to him." I stated as he noticed Tyler's name on the sketches.

Taylor's POV

I was at the career thing. Elena was being pretty mushy with Matt and I noticed Josh.

"Thinking of following in the family business?" I teased him.

"I don't know. I mean Logan disappearing and reappearing doesn't exactly sound too cushy." He remarked. I wondered exactly how much he knew about the vampires. Did he happen to know that Logan was one? "I could go with my aunt and become a doctor."

"Yeah, you'll be in school until you're 30." I joked. "Unless you like want to go to England and skip the Pre-Med part."

"Maybe I will." He declared. "So are you and Stefan over?"

"I'm not talking about that with you Joshua Fell." I remarked. "Are you and Caroline a thing now? I think you're good for each other."

"Yeah, I never liked her before, but she's kind of nice." He stated before I noticed Stefan in the doorway. Josh took the hint and left.

"So, here to plan your future?" I joked. Why did I always make jokes at inappropriate times? "It's really nice that you're here to protect me, but if you're not doing it as my boyfriend, I don't know if I want it."

"You know I wanted to be a doctor." He told. I had heard this story.

"What kind?" I asked.

"They didn't really have specialties back then." He declared. "The point is I couldn't."

"The blood was too much?" I questioned.

"Yeah." He replied. "I've done a bunch of other things."

"It must be hard to maintain a steady job for you." I commented.

"Yeah, people start to notice when you're not getting any older." Stefan told me.

"How long does that take?" I asked as I looked over the various booths and tables.

"A few years usually." He declared.

"Why did you always leave?" I asked.

"I couldn't risk being found out." He replied.

"A lot of celebrities don't seem to get older." I pointed out.

"What did you want to be when you were a kid?" He asked. It wasn't going to be what Elena said.

"Does it matter?" I asked before Jenna walked in.

"Hide me. Logan's here." She requested.

"Logan Fell?" Stefan asked. Jenna nodded and he left to deal the vampire.

"Stefan?" I asked as I stepped out into the hall. I couldn't let him know that I knew.

"Jenna, it's nice to see you." Logan remarked as he walked over.

"Well that makes one of us." Jenna declared.

"Taylor, why don't you take Jenna somewhere else?" Stefan suggested. He didn't have to ask me twice.

"So was Logan acting weird when he came over?" I asked after we were away.

"He kept asking me to invite him in." She answered. "What?"

"Don't invite him in. He's not good for you." I instructed.

"Hey, Taylor, Jenna." Alaric greeted us. Now this was a good guy for her.

"Hi, Mr. Saltzman." I greeted him. I fully supported this couple. I decided to let them flirt while I went outside to find Stefan. He was on the phone with who I assume was Damon. I walked over. "So is there a secret you forgot to tell me?"

Ashley's POV

I followed Jeremy as he found Tyler. I wanted to tell him it was a bad idea.

"I didn't know that you drew." He stated told the jock and future werewolf.

"It's an elective." Tyler remarked, obviously wanting Jeremy to go away.

"It's good stuff. Do you like graphics?" Jeremy asked. Stop talking and walk away, Jeremy. He's going to hit you.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asked. "Are you trying to befriend me because we have something in common other than doing the same chick? Looks like you've already found a new girl to screw."

Okay, Jeremy was the one to hit him. I tried to stop them, but it was Alaric and Mayor Lockwood who did before the mayor took them away to fight outside. I should probably stay out of this.

Taylor's POV

We went back in the school and found Josh.

"Have you seen your uncle?" I asked.

"Yeah, he took Caroline home. I didn't even get the chance to tell him about us." Josh replied as he passed by.

"Go." I instructed.

Ashley's POV

I went in search of my mom because I wanted to leave.

"Have you seen Caroline?" She asked me.

"No." I replied. "But I want to get going."

"I think you should stay here a bit longer." She told me. "Maybe you can get a ride with Taylor. I have some work to do."

She then went out to the squad car. Wait a minute. Logan kidnapped Caroline here. Fuck. I don't know what to do. I can't tell anyone about it. I went over to Taylor.

"Logan took Caroline." I told her.

"I know Stefan was going to help her." Taylor replied. "She'll be fine."

Taylor's POV

I then saw Stefan, since Ashley wasn't supposed to know, I walked over to him.

"Did you get to her?" I asked.

"She's okay. She was shaken up, but she doesn't know anything other than he attacked her." He explained.

"And Logan?" I asked.

"Damon was dealing with him." Stefan said. I knew it would be Alaric who ultimately killed him. "So do you understand how dangerous this is? Do you understand why we can't be together?"

"No, I don't." I told him. "All I'm seeing is you being too afraid that I can't handle this. I can handle this. I know that I may be in danger some times, but I know that you'll be there to protect me. Do you want a ride home?"

"I can get there." He replied.

"I know, but I'd it would be this way."

"Okay." He declared.

Ashley's POV

I assumed that Stefan had successfully found Caroline. I then went out to Jeremy again. He was once again trying to talk to Tyler. I don't know why he kept trying.

"Hey." Jeremy said.

"What do you want?" Tyler asked.

"Is that how your dad always is?" Jeremy questioned. "I get it."

Tyler then punched him right in the jaw. That was unnecessary.

"What's your problem?" I asked as I went over and held Jeremy.

"I don't want anyone's pity." Tyler declared. I then noticed something in the sky. It was a full moon. Now things made a lot more sense.

Taylor's POV

I pulled my car into Stefan's place.

"I don't want you to leave, Stefan." I told him. "I want to be with you, and I do think that is enough. We don't even know if Logan's the last vampire we'll see. I would really like it if you were here to protect me."

"I know." He replied.

"You asked me what I wanted to do when I was kid." I reminded him. "I wanted to play professional soccer. The US had just won the World Cup and I wanted to be that exhibitionist girl. Then I tried it and realized that I can't play sports. Then I decided that I wanted to write books, but then my parents died and I am not sure anymore. I don't know what the future is going to hold, Stefan. Right now, I just care about the present. Even if you aren't going to be part of my future, I want to enjoy the present."

"I can't." He stated.

"Yes you can. You can't run away from this. I love you and you love me." I told him. I almost went into the _Barney_ song, but didn't. "You can't tell me that that isn't a good enough reason for us to be together."

He got out and I followed him. I was not going to let him walk away from me. We were going to make up here.

"If you're gonna go, it has to be because you don't love me. I know that you do, so you can't leave me." I said. With that he came over and kissed me. This was it. This was our big moment.

We kissed our way into the house and up to the stairs and into his bedroom. This was it. We were going to do it. He started to vamp out.

"I don't care about that, Stefan." I told him. "I get that you crave my blood, but I trust you enough to not hurt me."

With that, we resumed. I took my jacket off and he took his shirt off. Each layer of clothing was stripped away. My breasts bounced out as he removed my bra. I pulled my necklace off as he got on top of me. He then my panties off and I kicked them to do the floor and I removed his underwear as well. He entered me after that. It was everything that I wanted to be. Even though, I was a virgin in my world, I guess Josh and I had had sex here. It didn't hurt. Even if it wasn't technically my first time, it was the first time that I remembered. There was no need for protection so I felt the entirety of him as he thrust inside of me. It was so good. He then brought me to it: my first real orgasm. I moaned as it happened and felt him erupt inside of me as our lips touched. After I had a moment to catch my breath, we did it again. If someone told me my first time would be with Stefan Salvatore, I would probably think that they were crazy.

Ashley's POV

I kissed Jeremy as we prepared to head our separate ways.

"Do you think you can walk me home?" I asked. "It's kind of dark out."

"Sure." He agreed.

It wasn't that far of a walk. None of the things that go bump in the night were out.

"So, I'm not gonna invite you in." I told him. "I think we may have started too fast. We can hang out tomorrow, but we should wait to do that again until the time is right."

"Okay." He agreed. "I don't know if you're interested, but I need to go to the library tomorrow."

"Yes, I'd be happy to have a study date with you." I told him as I kissed him one more time before I walked in.

Taylor's POV

After we were done, was in one of his shirts over my underwear and he was in his boxer briefs. We were cuddling.

"Your room is really nice." I told him. I had a feeling that something was wrong, but I didn't know what.

"I haven't done much to it, recently." He admitted.

"Do you have things here from the last time you were here?" I asked as he pet my hair.

"This is the one place that I've always been able to call home." Stefan explained. "My whole life is in this room."

He then kissed my head.

"I'm gonna go get you some water." He announced before he kissed me. "I love you."

"I love you too." I reciprocated.

After he left, I began to look around. His room amazed me…until I saw a dark-haired version of me. That was Veronica. I got dressed and rushed out to my car, driving off before I could even remember that I was supposed to look like Veronica. I lapsed my judgment and also realized I forgot my necklace. I then noticed a man in the road. It was too late to avoid him. I ran him over also flipping my car in the process. I then looked in horror as he began to get up.

Well, as you can see, Taylor's memory isn't always good. Now she's headed to Georgia and Ashley and Jeremy are a thing. There's a poll regarding this story on my profile about who should become a vampire first. Please fill that out and don't forget to review.


	12. Bloodlines

Taylor's POV

I noticed a man in the road. It was too late to avoid him. I ran him over also flipping my car in the process. I then looked in horror as he began to get up.

I was uninjured, but trapped. I screamed before Damon showed up.

"How you doing there?" He asked. "Put your hands on the roof."

He then extracted me from the car. I found out that maybe I was kind of hurt. I had a hard time standing up. I think my leg was broken, or maybe it wasn't I could still feel it. I was a little woozy. I passed out, but I don't think there was anything medical to it.

I woke up in the morning. I felt better. I guess I just needed some rest. I then realized I was in Damon's car. He was taking me to Georgia.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Georgia." Damon drawled. Okay I had to accent, he had a nice drawl.

"I can't be in Georgia. I need to be at home. You have to turn around." I ordered. I knew this wouldn't do me any good. He was taking me there whether I liked it or not.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. "Nothing's broken and if you had internal bleeding, well you'd probably be dead."

"There was someone in the road. Did I hit you?" I asked him. I know it wasn't Damon. It was…some other guy whose name I don't remember.

"It was someone else." Damon declared.

"Can we at least pull over so I can call someone?" I asked. "Stop the fucking car!"

"You were so much less annoying when you were asleep." He remarked before pulled to the side of the road. I stepped out, definitely feeling sore. He rushed over to me.

"I'm okay…just sore." I replied. I hoped he didn't know about me and Stefan because then there would be comments I didn't like. "Take me back."

"Sorry, no can do." He told me. "It's fine."

I decided to stop playing.

"Where are we going?" I asked with a sigh. I then heard the song "Kiss Me Through the Phone" playing. Damon made think about Soulja Boy. "Why do you have my phone?"

"It's your BF." He stated. I don't know if I wanted to talk to Stefan. Part of me was really upset for him withholding that I looked Veronica, even though I knew I did. "Taylor's phone. Yeah, she's fine. She's right next to me. She's very fine."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"He wants to talk to you." Damon told me. I shook my head. "She doesn't want to speak to you right now. I'm betting it has to do with the whole Veronica thing. Have a good day, little brother."

"Now where are we going?" I asked again, taking my phone.

"It's a little bar just outside of Atlanta. It'll be fun." He promised. I think Elena did have fun there and so could I.

"Can I trust you?" I asked.

"Yes." He told me.

Ashley's POV

I met up with Jeremy at school. I felt different this morning for some reason. I don't know what it was because everything was still the same. I had on a white butterfly top with a leather jacket and long blue skirt. In the parking lot, we happened to notice Mr. Saltzman apparently looking for something in his car.

"Hey, Mr. Saltzman." Jeremy greeted.

"Hey, Jeremy, Ashley. I seem to have misplaced my ring." He replied. I didn't know he had a ring. "There it is. Losing family heirlooms…not good. So, Jeremy how's the extra credit? You pick a topic yet?"

"Yeah, Mystic Falls 1864. I found an old journal of my ancestor Jonathan Gilbert." Jeremy answered.

"He sounds like a nut." I added.

"The Gilberts are one of the founding families." Jeremy continued.

"Along with the Forbeses, Lockwoods, Fells, Salvatores, and Youngs." I interrupted.

"Sounds good, just don't let your girlfriend write it for you." The teacher joked. I smiled. I liked being called his girlfriend.

Taylor's POV

"So, do you know who that guy was?" I asked.

"Well it wasn't Logan. Sheriff told me they found his body." Damon explained. "There isn't some vampire bar like in _True Blood_. Speaking of bars, here we are."

Damon pulled into Bree's Bar. That's why we were here. He wanted to see Bree.

"I'm pretty sure this is corrupting a minor." I pointed out as we both exited the vehicle. We walked inside and there was the witch.

"No, it can't be." Bree said as she noticed us. "Damon, my honey pie."

She then gave him a big wet kiss. At least I think it was wet. It looked wet. Wait, should I care if it's wet?

Afterwards, we were seated at the bar.

"Listen up, everybody!" Bree exclaimed as she poured shots. "Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances I ever had at happiness."

That seems like a very odd toast. Damon took my shot. I kind of wanted that.

"So how did he rope you in?" Bree asked.

"He's my boyfriend's brother." I said quickly.

"Sounds like my kind of relationship." Bree commented. I blushed. "Well, whatever this is, you need to make sure that you enjoy the ride."

"So, what's the story between you two?" I asked, changing the subject.

"College." Bree answered.

"I never pegged you for a college guy." I quipped.

"I was more into college girls." Damon admitted. Now that sounded like Damon.

"It was 89 and I met this beautiful man." Bree recounted. "I fell in love, he told me his secret, I told him mine."

"Witch." Damon replied, pointing to her.

I then sat uncomfortably as they talked about the sex they used to have. This was awkward, even though I probably got laid more recently than either of them…and the necklace wasn't the only thing I forgot.

"So what can I do for you, Damon?" She asked.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were at the library together. He went to the shelf and a book fell out. Suddenly, another girl collided with me. She was Asian. She looked familiar, but I couldn't place her.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." She told me. "And I'm sorry about the book. Are both of you okay?"

"We're fine." I remarked.

"I'm Anna." She introduced.

"Ashley, and this is my boyfriend, Jeremy." I responded as we each shook her hand.

Taylor's POV

I went outside and decided to call Elena.

"Where are you?" She answered.

"I'm not exactly sure. Could you please tell Jenna that I called and try to come up with something. I don't have a good lie. I'm with Damon. It's a long story."

Shortly after I was done with that call, Stefan called me. I sighed and answered it.

"Yes, Stefan?" I answered.

"Where are you?" He asked.

"I don't feeling like telling you, just like you didn't feel like telling me I looked like Veronica." I stated.

"Just tell me where you are." He told me. I was getting really tired of this.

"You promised me no more secrets, Stefan." I reminded him.

"I'll tell you." He promised. I decided to just hang up and there was Damon.

"Eavesdropping is rude." I commented. "Don't gloat. That's also rude."

Ashley's POV

"Here we have local and state history." Anna said, like she was a tour guide.

"Do you work here?" I asked. How old do you have to be to get a job at the library?"

"Nope. I just spend a lot of time here. I'm homeschooled." Anna replied.

"Where is local 1860s?" Jeremy asked. It was nice that someone knew their way around.

"It's in reference." Anna replied. "So what's your topic?"

"The town's fear and hysteria and how it influenced certain writers." Jeremy answered. I knew what he was writing about and I didn't understand that.

"Mind saying that in English?" Anna quipped. I like this girl.

"How about the origin of local folklore?" He asked.

"You mean the vampires." Anna replied. Vampires? Like Twilight?

Taylor's POV

Damon and I were having some lunch.

"If I'm descended from Veronica, does that make me part vampire?" I asked.

"This isn't some _Vampire Academy _stuff. Vampires can't breed." Damon explained. "Ronnie would have had to have had a child before being turned."

"You can stop with all the fiction references." I told him. "So do you think Stefan likes me because I am a blonde-haired Veronica?"

"It's kind of creepy. Do you want that pickle?" He asked. I wasn't going to ask about how he was able to eat.

"How much of this is real?" I asked. "You're not feeding from Caroline again, are you?"

"No, she's too much trouble to feed from." He joked. I don't know why, but I smiled. Bree gave Damon another beer.

"Can I have one?" I asked. She gave me one. I guess it had to do with no cops being around.

Ashley's POV

Three of us were seated at a table.

"There's no such thing as vampires." Jeremy declared.

"Well obviously they don't go around advertising, but the stories have been told around here since the civil war. My grandpa used to tell me stories and his grandpa told him." Anna explained. She seemed to really buy into it. It would be cool.

"That's folklore." Jeremy argued. "Vampires are a metaphor for demons of the day: the union soldiers. They talk about the enemy: the demons that attack at night."

"Sounds like vampires." I pointed out.

"Allegorical vampires: it's creative expression during very volatile time." Jeremy explained. "A country at war wants an escape as in vampire fiction."

Wow, I didn't know Jeremy was this smart.

"You're a lot smarter than you look." Anna told him.

"It's been a rough few months, but I'm starting to get back." He replied.

"Well good luck, I gotta get home." Anna replied.

"Are you sure that you have to go?" I asked. What can I say? I like people with similar style to me. She has to be the only other Goth I've seen in this town.

Taylor's POV

After a little while, I decided to get in a drinking contest. It wasn't about how many. It was how fast. I could drink pretty fast.

"I win again!" I chirped.

"You have some weird drinking ability." Damon replied.

"Honey, you should be on the floor." One of the patrons told me.

"I'm not drunk." I declared as I giggled. If I was drunk, why would I be so happy?

Ashley's POV

We were at the Grill. Jeremy and Anna were playing foosball and I was going up against the winner. Anna told us that her grandpa had a journal like Jonathan did.

"Do you have any idea where this journal is?" I asked.

"Nope, old man and all of the kids split the stuff." Anna remarked.

"I just find it weird that both of our ancestors kept these journals." Jeremy remarked. I hope he didn't see as a form of attraction. Jeremy and I just got together.

"I still think there's some reality to it." Anna replied.

"No, it can't be." Jeremy argued. "My ancestor wrote fiction."

"Which is why you think it's fiction." Anna replied as she scored a goal.

"No, I think it's fiction because I've seen _The Lost Boys _and _From Dusk Till Dawn _50 times."

"I like _30 Days of Night _and I am a sucker for _Twilight." _I added.

"I've never seen any of those." Anna replied. "Maybe the three of us can have a fright night sometime."

"I don't think my mom would go for that." I declared. "And Jeremy has two sisters."

"Well that's too bad." Anna responded. "I really need to go. It was nice meeting you two."

"I like her." I declared after she was gone. "Maybe we should have gotten some contact info."

Taylor's POV

I was playing pool when I heard my phone ring.

"Taylor, where are you? I don't think I can keep covering with Jenna." Elena asked.

"I'm fine, Sis." I told her. "It's loud in here."

"Tell me where you are." Elena demanded. I tripped as I stepped out. Walking was kind of hard now. Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind and dragged off. He took me to this construction site, where Damon found me.

"Damon, it's a trap." I warned him. My buzz was gone. The mystery vampire started to beat on him with a metal instrument. He then covered him in gasoline. I tried to stop him. Who was this guy?

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"He killed my girlfriend." Mystery guy answered. "She went to visit Stefan on his birthday. Damon killed her."

He was Lexi's boyfriend. That was right.

"Lexi was your girlfriend?" I asked. "She said you were human."

"I was." The man said with a tear in his eye. "To be with someone forever, you have to live forever."

"She loved you. She talked about you a lot. She wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want you to kill Damon. What good is revenge going to get you? It's not going to bring Lexi back. You'll still feel empty afterwards. You're better than him."

It seemed to work because instead of killing him, he just kicked him into a metal garage. He then ran away and I went over to Damon. I then felt all of the liquor I had drank coming out. Luckily, none of it got on him.

I then waited in the car, trying not to puke in it while he went back in the bar. He walked out with blood on his hands. I don't know who it was from. I could barely stay awake.

The next morning, we got back to Mystic Falls.

"So why did you bring me?" I asked. I had a pretty bad hangover, but we stopped at a Waffle House and that helped.

"You're not the worst company in the world and I thought you needed an escape." He explained. I needed to change my clothes.

"I saved your life." I pointed out. "You owe me."

"I'll save yours soon enough." He remarked.

We went to the boarding house first and I met with Stefan. I wanted him to explain some things to me.

"It's time to talk Stefan." I told him.

"I wanted to." He remarked.

"Stefan, just spill already. Why do I look like Veronica?" I requested. "I can handle the truth."

"You are not Veronica." He told me. "You have very little in common with her."

"When did you find that out?" I asked. "Was it before you kissed me? Before you slept with me? Tell me!"

"Before I met you." He answered. "I saw your parents' car go off the bridge. I dove in to try to help. Your father was conscious. I wanted to help him, but he told me to help you first. I got you out and then went back, but it was too late. Then I looked at your face and freaked out so I ran."

I cried as he told the story.

"I spent months making sure that you weren't her." He continued. If my emotions weren't so high, I'd be upset at him for stalking me. "When I realized you weren't her, I wanted to leave, but I couldn't. I had fallen for you. I wanted to tell you Taylor."

"Why did I look like Veronica?" I asked him one more time. I knew the answer. My mom was never pregnant and Elena and I were adopted.

"It didn't make any sense. You were a Gilbert and she was a Billings. I looked into your birth records. I found out that your mother had been pregnant, but she only gave birth to Elena."

That…that I wasn't expecting.

"You were adopted, Taylor." He summarized.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I had gone back to the library to see if we could find Anna so I could get her number.

"I was expecting to see you two here." She explained. She was holding a large folder. "So I love to be right, so I did some digging. I have proof?"

"Proof?" I repeated.

Jeremy looked through the folder and it was a bunch of reports of animal attacks.

"There have been animal attacks around this area every few years for decades." Anna explained. "All of them suffered major blood loss."

I didn't realize all of that.

Taylor's POV

I finally made my way home and Jenna was pissed.

"Two days. How can you disappear for two days?" Jenna asked. "I don't expect this from you, Taylor. I thought we were closer. You can't lie to me like that."

"You want to talk about lies? Fine how about this one? Am I adopted?" I asked. "Is Elena not my sister? I trust you to tell me truth, Aunt Jenna. I thought we closer."

So, you're probably wondering what happened with Ashley. Well the girls had been forgetting things gradually, while Taylor was learning things along the way. Ashley wasn't learning them and after one night, it all went away. She'll have to be reeducated. Plus and Jeremy are gonna be friends with Anna. Any suggestions for who Anna should date? It won't be Damon. Please don't forget to review.


	13. Unpleasantville

Taylor's POV

The following night, I was in Stefan's room.

"So any idea who was in the road?" I asked him.

"What do you remember?" He asked.

"A hoodie." I answered. "So that narrows it down to every male hoodie-owning vampire."

"I have some vervain. You can put it in jewelry, food or drink, and I even made a bracelet for Jeremy. As long as it's in you or on you a vampire can't control you." Stefan remarked.

"Got it." I told him. I actually had some pieces already picked out. "So do you have any idea why vervain works?"

I couldn't remember why. I had a lot of holes in stuff that I should, but I don't.

After I got home, Elena was out with Matt, and Jenna was with Alaric, so Jeremy and I ordered pizza.

"Taylor, I need the money!" Jeremy called up. I came down and found the pizza guy. I gave him $25.

"Keep the change." I told him.

"Thank you." He replied. "And you have yourself a wonderful day."

Ashley's POV

We were just getting out of History.

"Jeremy, I've got your paper for you." Mr. Saltzman told him. I decided to wait and see what he got. He got an A. "Surprised? It's a good essay. Your thoughts are clear and your argument is well thought out, but you don't believe in vampires, do you?"

"No." Jeremy replied.

"We met this girl that seemed to, but neither of us thinks that they're more than fiction." I explained. We then started to leave.

"Oh, Jeremy, do you have that source the journal you listed?" He asked. "I'd like to read it."

"Why?" I asked.

"A first person account of the Civil War, that's like porn to a history teacher." Mr. S. explained. I giggled at that.

"If you think my essay's creative wait till you get a load of this thing." Jeremy remarked as he gave the journal and we walked away.

At lunch, I saw Taylor beckoning me. So she was back. I needed to ask where she went.

Taylor's POV

I watched as Ashley walked over.

"Where were you the past few days?" Ashley asked.

"I was doing the thing with the thing with Damon." I told her.

"What thing with Damon?" Ashley questioned.

"You know…the thing with Damon in Georgia." I responded.

"Why were you in Georgia?" She asked.

"Ashley, how long have we been here?" I asked.

"Um, we've only lived here our whole lives." Ashley replied. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah." I responded as I realized that I was forgetting some things, Ashley must have forgotten it all. Was it going to happen to me too? I don't think now would be a good time to tell her. "I got you something."

I pulled out a bracelet that was just like the one Jeremy had.

"What's the occasion?" She asked as she put it on.

"Well I know you and Jeremy are together and I figured matching bracelets was a good way to let people know you're a couple." I replied.

"Because people obviously look at our wrists." She joked. "It's nice. Thank you."

"I'm perfectly okay with you dating my brother." I told her. "But you can leave certain things out."

"I so wanted to tell you about how we…" She replied.

"La, la, la not listening." I declared as I covered my ears.

Later, I was at the Grill with Bonnie and Elena.

"You're adopted?" Elena asked in surprised.

"It was a shock to me too." I lied. "But Grayson and Miranda Gilbert are on my birth certificate. It had to have been covered up."

"Well Dad was a doctor." Elena pointed out. "You need to ask Jenna to see if she knows anything."

"I guess I can." I replied. I'm pretty sure my parents were still John and Isobel.

"Taylor, we need to go get some accessories for the dance." Elena replied as we left. Once we were outside, my phone started to ring. It was hoodie vampire.

"I need to go home now." I told Elena. "I really remembered that I have some homework."

Elena was driving and she looked upset, but drove me home before she left to go to the store.

The next day after school, I was again at the boarding house.

"Why did he call me? Why didn't he just kill me?" I asked. "I felt like I was in _Scream."_

"We're predators, Taylor." Stefan explained. "Some do work like serial killers even."

He then handed me the compass. I wonder if Jeremy wondered what happened to it.

"I want you to take this." He told me. "It will point out any vampires."

"Jeremy was looking for this." I replied, even if he wasn't.

"I took it from Damon who got it from Logan after Logan shot me and Damon killed him." Stefan explained. "Jonathan Gilbert invented it in 1864."

"Did you know him?" I asked. I was pretty sure he did. Stefan nodded.

"Yes." He answered. "This will let you know if vampires are near."

Ashley's POV

I was playing pool with Jeremy at the Grill when Anna walked up.

"So how'd it go?" She asked. "The paper?"

"I got an A." Jeremy replied.

"What did he say about the _vampires?" _Anna questioned with spooky emphasis. "Did you make a believer out of him?"

"You didn't even make a believer out of me." Jeremy told her. "It's a paper, Anna."

I kind of believed it. I don't know if I could prove it.

"We have to get going." Jeremy replied.

"Do you wanna hang out?" Anna asked. She seemed to not want us to go.

"We have the dance tonight." I explained. "Only there won't be much dancing because Jeremy's on punch duty."

"How did you get stuck with that?" Anna asked in amusement.

"I'm failing English so I made a deal." Jeremy told her. Though, I'm not quite sure how 50s dance relates to English class.

"Maybe tomorrow or something." Anna replied. I looked at her funny. "I'm sorry. I don't have many friends."

"Thanks for the help on the paper. I'll see you later." Jeremy replied as I followed him out. I needed to head home. I had a lot of work to do to get into period dress.

Taylor's POV

I noticed Jenna as I walked in. She told me my car was totaled…as if I didn't.

"You look like you're going to the dance." I remarked at her 50s outfit.

"Alaric asked me to help chaperone." She explained.

"I need to know Jenna. Do you know anything about my adoption?" I asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Your parents were supposed to." Jenna responded.

"Tell me what happened." I asked, pretty much ordered.

"Well Elena had just been born and your mom was asleep in her room. Your dad was about to leave when a girl showed up about to give birth. She was 16 and a runaway. He delivered the baby and found her a place to stay, but then she disappeared and left you behind. Since you and Elena looked alike, your father decided to pass you two off as twins. They got their dreams with not one but two little girls. They changed some documents and told very few people." Jenna explained.

"What do you know about the girl?" I asked.

"Just a name: Isobel." She told me. Yup, that's still the same. So I'm assuming my father is John.

Not long after, I was also dressed in my 50s dress. It was red floral. Floral was big in the 50s, wasn't it? Well it had a poodle skirt, so it was 50s enough. I then noticed that compass was going off. Oh no. The hoodie vampire is in my house. I didn't have any sharp wooden objects. I went downstairs and screamed as he ambushed me. Stefan rushed over and saved me, but the guy got away. Elena came downstairs.

"What happened?" She asked as I hugged Stefan tightly.

Stefan called Damon and soon he was in our living room.

"How did he get in?" Damon asked.

"He posed as a pizza guy." I explained. I kind of wanted to know what happened to the real pizza guy.

"Did he say what he wanted?" The older Salvatore followed up.

"No, I was too busy trying not to be his dinner to listen." I quipped. "What do we do about this?"

"Well I think I learned not to invite strangers in." Elena replied.

"So do you have any idea who this is?" I asked Damon.

"I already told that I don't." Damon reminded me.

"Damon, you need to stop taking my sister to other states." Elena remarked.

"Technically she's not your sister." Damon pointed out. I was her cousin, though. "We have to find this guy and kill him tonight."

"Why kill him?" I asked.

"Because he was invited in. It's not safe for anyone to be in this house until he's dead." Stefan explained. "Let's go to the dance. Maybe he expects you to be there."

"Sounds good to me." I remarked.

Ashley's POV

The dance was…really lame. Not only did it look awful, but I had to dress like a perfect 50s daughter. I had an orange dress with a white collar and perpendicular black stripes. My makeup was at minimum. I couldn't even dance because Jeremy happened to be the only one at the punch bowl. It sucked. I then noticed Taylor walked in with Stefan…and Damon. What the hell?

I walked over to her when she was alone.

"So why did you bring Damon with you?" I asked.

"Well he's Stefan's brother and I have to deal with him if I'm gonna date Stefan." She explained. "So are you having fun?"

"No, I can't get your brother away from the punch bowl." I complained. "Well I might leave if I don't get a chance to."

Taylor's POV

I noticed Caroline and Bonnie walking away from Damon.

"Your ability to drive away women amazes me." I commented.

"Well you were practically throwing yourself at me in Atlanta." Damon remarked.

"I was not." I argued. Was I?

"Taylor, would you like to dance?" He asked me. This was gonna be fun.

"Yes." I answered. "Shall we, Stefan?"

I took him out to the dance floor.

We danced to "Earth Angel". I have to admit, I kind of felt like I was in _Back to the Future. _

"So do you see anyone you don't know?" I asked.

"No, but I haven't met everyone at this school." He admitted.

"So do you have pictures from the 50s?" I asked.

"No, they're gone and burned." He stated. Now I kind of wished I could travel back in time.

"What were the 50s like? I see something between _Happy Days _and_ Pleasantville."_ I queried.

"Plus Korean War, McCarthyism, and segregation." He added.

"Am I appropriately dressed or not?" I asked.

"Yeah, you would fit right in." He stated. I smiled before she spun me around.

Ashley's POV

I walked over when I saw Jeremy talking to Anna. I did not expect to see her here.

"So why aren't you two out there dancing?" She asked.

"I can't get him away from the table." I said.

"I have an idea." She declared as she went behind the table.

"What are you doing?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm manning the table so you two can have a dance." Anna replied. "I just want one thing in return."

"What?" Jeremy asked.

"I want to borrow your ancestor's journal." She responded.

"I don't have it." He declared.

"Well, obviously, but you could give it to me when you get home." Anna offered.

"He doesn't have it because it loaned it to Mr. Saltzman." I explained.

"Well that's too bad." Anna replied. "You two should still dance though."

Taylor's POV

"Maybe he's not here." I suggested.

"Looks like we just wasted our time then." He smiled. I liked seeing him smile. "I'm really sorry for the other night. I should have told you sooner."

"You've forgiven. Did anyone ever tell you apologize too much?" I remarked.

Suddenly Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls of Fire" began to play. He used to big, now he's just well…big. Stefan then started to twirl me around.

"Now you remember that because it was a onetime thing." He instructed. I pouted.

A few minutes later, we were off the dance floor, but Damon found a girl to dance with and it was actually kind of funny to watch.

"Wow. That is something. I don't know what to call it." I admitted as I stifled a laugh. I then noticed him. "I see hoodie guy."

I realized that I really had to pee. I didn't have anyone to go with me. I went to the bathroom.

"Well's nice to see you." A certain vampire said. Uh oh. I began to run. I hoped I wouldn't wet myself. He wasn't running after me, but walking. This guy was definitely twisted. There had to be a weapon somewhere. He came at me and I found some pencils and stabbed him with them. I then found a mop and broke it over me knee…or tried to. Man, this is lot harder than it looks."

He caught up to me and threw the mop to the ground. He tried to bite me again, before Stefan threw him to the ground…again. What are the odds of that happening?

"Hey Dickhead, nobody wants to kill you." Damon remarked. "We just want to talk."

He charged at Stefan, but was stabbed in the gut with a mop that Damon had broken.

What happened was a little hard to watch. Stefan repeated stabbed him with the stake, going deeper each time. We really weren't able to get much information out of him. He didn't tell us who he was working with. He was apparently only attacking me because I looked like Veronica and he said that the journal would tell us how to get the spell book to open the tomb, but I already knew all of that. Stefan then killed him.

"Did you have to kill him?" I asked.

"He was invited in." Damon declared. "He had to die. You can't have vampires who have been invited in running around."

Afterwards, Stefan took me home.

"I was kind of badass tonight." I declared. "Obviously, I need to work on it, but I managed to hold him off temporarily."

"Should I be worried?" He joked as he gave me some tea."

"So, are you I can't see what you were like in the 50s?" I asked.

"I stand by my statement." He remarked.

"I told Damon that I would help him get into the tomb, but it was a lie. I can't let him in there. I can't let him release all of those vampires."

"Then don't." I replied, knowing that Damon wouldn't like that. "Though, I don't like you lying to him."

"Those vampires very much belong in that tomb." He declared. "Veronica is possibly the worst of them."

That I wasn't sure if I believed.

"You know Damon is going to be really mad if figures out you're playing him." I declared.

"He won't." Stefan replied.

Stefan just tempted fate. That's usually not a good idea. Other than that, there's not much to talk about in this chapter. Please don't forget to review


	14. Children of the Damned

1864

Damon was lying in the middle of the road as a carriage pulled up. Veronica was huddled over him. She ran up to it.

"My husband is injured. He needs help." She said frantically. The men got out of the carriage.

"What are you doing out here in the middle of night? It's not safe." One of them declared.

"You're right." Veronica remarked before she bore her fangs and drank from the man. She then moved onto the other. She then looked to Damon. "Now that is the proper way to feed from a person. I hope you were paying attention."

"I thought you said that you don't like killing." Damon replied as he got up.

"Yeah, I don't, but sometimes I get very hungry and it's something that you cannot satisfy." She remarked before he went to clean her face. "Don't. I want you to taste it."

She then kissed him. Damon didn't really like the taste, but he knew he would soon enough.

Taylor's POV

It was morning. Stefan and I were both naked in his bed.

"Good morning." I told him as he cuddled me a little.

"I could use to waking up like this." He remarked.

"Rise and shine you two." Damon interrupted. Yeah, I had forgotten that he would interrupt our morning of intimacy.

"Damon!" I replied as I covered up. I did not want him to see me like this.

"Stop being smutty." He responded.

"Seriously, get out." Stefan ordered as he tried to cover me.

"If I see something that I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it." Damon stated. I blushed. If my body looked just like Veronica's, then he probably had seen it before. That still didn't make me comfortable. "Now I have some very important business to discuss here."

"And it must be while we are completely naked?" I quipped.

"We have lots to do, now that we're all friends and working towards a common goal." Damon continued. "So order to open the tomb, we need the journal which will lead to the grimoire. Since you are Taylor _Gilbert_, you're on journal duty."

"I never agreed to help." I pointed out, still clutching the covers tightly.

"Well Stefan is helping and you've taken residency in his bed, so ergo…." Damon explained.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to." Stefan told me. Yes I did.

"I'll look for as long as you leave." I said to Damon.

"Can we even trust the idiot that we killed last night?" Stefan asked as I laid down.

"It's all we have." Damon declared.

"Well what about the mystery vampire?" Stefan questioned. "Knucklehead wasn't working alone and whoever he was working for knows who we are."

"And I don't like it, so we need to get on that ASAP." Damon remarked. "You know I really like whole ménage a trois we have."

Stefan was about to get up.

"Let's not do that yet." I told him. "I think there's something I want before breakfast."

I then went under his side of the sheets.

1864

Damon and Veronica were in bed. She got on top of him because she loved being on top. There was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" She asked as Emily entered the room.

"Excuse me, Miss Veronica. Miss Pearl is here to see you." The witch declared.

"I'll be right there." The vampire promised. "Thank you, Emily."

Ashley's POV

I had just gotten out of the shower. I was wrapped in my black towel as I entered my room. I began to look through my closet before laying an outfit on my bed.

"Black again?" Caroline asked as she stood in my doorway. "Do you ever plan on dressing like a normal person?"

"Depends on what you consider normal." I replied. "Will you leave now?"

"I want to make a bet with you." Caroline replied. "I bet you can't go the whole day wearing clothes only from my closet."

"What happens if I lose?" I asked.

"You have to wear my clothes for a whole week." She proposed. That sounded horrible. "I'll let you make your terms on what happens if you manage to win."

"You can either pay me one hundred bucks or wear something of mine tomorrow." I suggested.

"Okay, but I'm gonna do that, then you have to wear a normal amount of makeup." She stated. I could do this. I shook her hand before she went and got me a blue green top and shorts, it was usually warm for November, and a pink bra and panties. I hadn't agreed to the latter, but I guess I could not have sex with Jeremy today. I wasn't really planning on it.

Taylor's POV

Later, I was at home dressed in a white dress with black belt. I was looking through some boxes. I remembered Jeremy had had the journal, but I don't remember what he did with it. Stefan was with me.

"Do you think Damon believes us?" I asked him.

"Damon doesn't know what to believe." Stefan stated. "Trust isn't first nature to him."

"I think Damon loves Veronica and he believes he's doing what he does to get her back." I opined. Actually, I did know it was a fact. "It's kind of sad."

"You don't have to do what he did to get what you want." Stefan told me. "Damon has no regard for human life."

I think he at least had some.

"What will happen if the tomb gets opened?" I asked. I remember the chaos. I actually don't think there was much death."

"I think a lot of people are gonna die, and we can't let that happen." Stefan answered.

Jeremy then walked into the kitchen.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked.

"Just looking through some old stuff." I answered as I put some of it away. "We were looking for this old journal."

"Jonathan Gilbert's?" Jeremy questioned.

"Yeah." I responded. "How did you know about it?"

"I just did a history report on it." Jeremy said as he sat on the counter. I know Mom didn't like that.

"Where is it now?" I asked.

"I gave it Mr. Saltzman." He answered. Yes, Alaric had it.

Stefan left to retrieve it. I had a bad feeling about him going alone.

I then heard my phone ring. It was Ashley.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, what are you doing?" She asked.

"Nothing." I responded. I couldn't do anything until Stefan got the journal. "You wanna do something?"

"Yeah, I was thinking we should hang out today. I can see Jeremy later." Ashley replied. "It's been a while since we've done anything together."

"Okay, we can meet at the Grill." I remarked before I hung up.

I drove to the Grill and noticed what she was wearing. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Shut up." She remarked.

"Did you lose a bet?" I asked, still stifling laughter.

"I made a bet, actually." She explained. "Caroline bet me that I couldn't go a day in her clothes, but enough about my outfit, let's talk about you and Stefan."

"What do you want to know about me and Stefan?" I asked with a blush.

"Have you two had sex yet?" She asked.

"Yes." I answered. I had nothing to be ashamed of. "In fact we did it just this morning."

"You slut." She joked. "Was it better than sex with Josh?"

I didn't remember what sex with Josh was like, but I imagine Stefan was better.

"Yes." I answered. "Should we be talking about this in public?"

"It shouldn't be taboo for us to talk about sex." Ashley opined.

"As long as we're not talking about sex with my brother." I told her. I did not need those images in my mind.

"So do you have any juicy secrets about Stefan?" She asked.

"I'm not gonna tell you my boyfriend's secrets." I replied. I wasn't sure how to get her to believe me. This was so much easier when she knew.

Later, the two of us went to my house for dinner. Elena was in the living room while Damon and Jenna were making dinner. Actually it was more Damon making dinner while Jenna sat on the counter drinking wine.

"Is Jeremy here?" Ashley asked Elena.

"He's upstairs." Elena replied before she ran up. "So I don't like Damon in this house."

"He can hear you." I whispered before I entered the kitchen.

"Hello, Taylor." He greeted me.

"Hey, where have you been?" Jenna asked.

"I was at the Grill with Ashley." I explained.

"So I guess Stefan wasn't with you." Damon remarked.

"He'll be here soon." I stated.

Ashley's POV

I went up to Jeremy's room. I found him on his computer. He had his phone out,.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Anna keeps calling me." He stated. "I kind of think that she might be into me."

"It's not always wise to make assumptions." I pointed out. "Maybe she just wants to hang out. I think dinner's gonna be done soon. We should go downstairs."

Taylor's POV

I began to get plates out when I bumped into Damon.

"Don't do that." I told him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Damon remarked.

"You stood there so I would rub against you." I remarked.

"You are perverted." Damon replied. "I was trying to get to the sink. So where is Stefan? He's missing family night, which is bad."

I said nothing and walked over.

"Is this real?" He asked.

"What?" I responded.

"Is this new sense of brotherhood real?" He questioned.

"Yes." I said.

"Can I trust him?" He asked.

"Yes." I repeated. He then sped behind me.

"Can I trust him?" He questioned slower.

"You can't compel me." I pointed out.

"I wasn't trying." Damon declared. "I just want a truthful answer."

"He's your brother. You can trust him." I lied.

"There was a time that I trusted him more than anyone." Damon admitted.

"You haven't given him many reasons to trust you." I pointed out.

"I just want Veronica back." He explained. "I'm sure you understand."

"I do understand." I replied. I felt kind of bad for deceiving him like this.

"I understand how much you love her." I stated as I walked toward the table.

"Then you understand what will happen if don't get my way." He declared.

Ashley's POV

After dinner, I was watching Damon and Jeremy play some game. Damon was winning.

"I thought you said you never played this." I declared.

"I learned quickly." He explained. I think he was cheating. Then Jeremy's phone buzzed, but he ignored it. "Who are you dodging?"

"The girl named Anna. I think she's into me." Jeremy replied.

"Is she hot?" Damon asked.

"Girlfriend standing right here." I replied in annoyance. "I think she's just being friendly."

I heard Jenna whispering about how hot Damon was, but Elena and Taylor tried to downplay it. He may be hot, but he hurt my sister and I can't forgive him for that.

Taylor's POV

"What are you doing with this stuff?" Jenna asked.

"I thought there was something about my birth parents." I remarked.

"You should tell Jeremy." Elena suggested.

"I will…once I figure out how." I promised. The doorbell rang. "That's Stefan."

Damon and I went to the door and there he was. I hope he had it.

We went outside to discuss it. I put my jacket on because it got chilly. Stefan said it was stolen.

"Who stole it?" Damon asked.

"I don't know. It was gone when he came back into the room." Stefan remarked.

"I think it was him." Damon said. "But who else knew it was there?"

"Jeremy." I answered. "No, Damon, he's not involved in this."

"I just want to ask him a question." Damon replied. He went inside and over to Jeremy. Ashley had taken.

"Why does everyone care this journal?" Jeremy asked. I wished I could remember where it was so we could avoid all of this.

"He told Anna." Ashley stated.

"How do you two know her?" Damon asked.

"She helped me with a paper." Jeremy asked. "She asked me to meet her at the Grill tonight."

"Perfect, come on you two." Damon told them. I don't want them going anywhere with him.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Ashley declared. She then looked at Jenna as she went toward the door. "Thanks for the dinner."

After Damon and Jeremy left, I went upstairs. Stefan followed me.

"Why didn't you go with him?" I asked. "We can't let Damon get the journal."

"I already have it." Stefan explained as he took out some printouts. Alaric had copied it, of course. "Mr. Saltzman made a copy and I got it from him."

We began to look through the pages.

"I found something!" I exclaimed. Well, that was very enthusiastic. "The Fell family believed it should be I not them who protected the witch's spell book, but I feared that she would haunt me to the hereafter. They mocked my fear, but it was Giuseppe Salvatore who removed my fear. He told me that he would protect the secret of the spell book. He said that he would carry it to his grave."

That led us to the moment where we had to dig up Giuseppe's grave.

"Shouldn't your father be in your family's tomb?" I asked.

"It wasn't built yet." Stefan stated as he started to dig.

"Are you sure that it's in there?" I asked.

"If it's not, then I don't know where it is." Stefan replied. "Taylor, I don't really need your help."

"I don't want that tomb open." I responded. I did know that it would be opened. I don't know what the point in fighting it would be.

We dug until we hit the wooden box. It had held up pretty well for such primitive wood.

"So best date in the world?" I quipped. I don't know if now was the time for humor. Stefan then opened the coffin and there was a skeleton holding the book. It was definitely the book we needed.

"Looks like we've got a case of treason." Damon commented as we looked at him.

"I won't let you bring her back." Stefan declared. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for ever thinking I could trust you." Damon replied with a tear in his eye.

"You are not able to be trusted." Stefan declared. "You planned on doing this yourself."

"I'm the only one that I can count on." Damon replied. "You made sure of that."

He then looked at me.

"But you had me fooled. I really believed you." He admitted. Well that didn't make me feel any better. I actually felt really bad for hurting him like this. I had to make this right and I think that I knew how to do it.

"Take it." I told him. Stefan looked at me, wondering what the hell I was doing. "Stefan, if we do anything to this book, who knows what he'll do? Who knows who he'll kill? Just take the book Damon."

I mean Damon would still need a witch to do the spell, which I pretty sure he didn't have. He walked over and I handed the book to him. I then ran into Stefan's arms and we left the scene.

When we got home, I started to prepare for bed. I wasn't ready to sleep yet, but it had been a hell of a night. I needed an aspirin. All of the stress really gave me a bad headache.

"Veronica is in that tomb because of me." Stefan replied. "Damon blames me for that."

"She was the one who was feeding from you. It's not your fault." I reminded him. "It was her fault."

Stefan then went down for the aspirin.

Almost immediately after, I saw her: Anna. Before I could do anything, she put me in a sleeper hold. It didn't take long for me to lose consciousness.

So, Damon didn't feed Taylor his blood and she got kidnapped. Also there may some issues between Jeremy, Ashley, and Anna. I was wondering when was would a good time for Taylor to forget everything she knows about the show. I'd like to hear your thoughts. PLease don't forget to review.


	15. Fool Me Once

Taylor's POV

I woke up on a bed in a hotel room. My head hurt. I looked around and the first that I noticed was Ben sleeping on a chair. I began to slowly try to creep out. I had a feeling I was forgetting something. I hope I was good at creeping. I then noticed something on the floor, as in after I tripped over it. Ow. I hate being clumsy.

"Don't move." Ben tried to compel me.

"I won't move." I faked. When he turned back, I tried to open the door and rush out, only to be stopped by Anna. She shoved me back into the room.

"Seriously?" Anna asked in disbelief at her minion.

"I told her not to move…" Ben replied.

"You forgot the part about vervain. She dates a vampire you idiot." Anna responded before she shoved me into the bathroom and that was where I found Bonnie sleeping in the tub. I shook her awake.

"Taylor?" Bonnie asked upon opening her eyes. "Oh my god, Ben is a vampire."

"I know." I replied. I then turned on the water. I wasn't sure if that would actually do anything. "Now what do you remember?"

"I'm so stupid." Bonnie remarked.

"Bonnie, it's not like he had a sign saying I'm a vampire over his head." I pointed out. "Even then I probably wouldn't believe that."

"Why are we here?" She asked.

"It has something to do with the tomb." I explained. "We found Emily's spell book last night."

"Why did no one tell me this?" She questioned.

"I wasn't planning on opening it." I stated. "A witch is needed to open it."

"I won't do that." The witch replied. At that moment, the door flew open and Ben turned off the water. He looked angry or maybe that was just how he always looked. Zing. "I'm not gonna help you."

Ben came and grabbed me.

"That's why she's here: motivation. You know you should be so desperate." Ben taunted. He then pushed me into the room. I can move on my own. He closed the door behind him and I saw Anna

"Well, well, Taylor Gilbert. You're definitely Veronica's doppelganger." She remarked, looking me over. "I bet those Salvatores can't get enough of you."

"Who are you?" I asked, remembering I wasn't supposed to know her.

"I'm Anna. Maybe your brother or Ashley mentioned me." She declared.

Ashley's POV

I walked into the Grill with Caroline. She decided to pay me rather than wear my clothes. I was glad to be wearing my own clothes again. I was wearing a red dress with black sides and black boots with long extensions. I heard Tyler talking to Matt and Josh about Duke's party. I would be going for the first time this year. I found Jeremy at a table, studying.

"What's the problem, Gilbert?" Tyler asked.

"Don't have one, Lockwood." Jeremy answered before I kissed him. I was rubbing it in his face that he was single.

Caroline then walked over.

"Jeremy, where is Taylor? I've been texting her and Bonnie all day about Duke's party. Elena doesn't seem to know either." Caroline asked. Yeah, where was Taylor?

"She was with Stefan.' Jeremy answered.

"I'm so not one of those girls who disappears because she has a boyfriend." Caroline replied. As slutty as Caroline could be, she usually did put her friends first.

"Who is Duke?" Jeremy asked.

"He graduated a couple years ago. He's a total ass, but he throws awesome he comes home from Duke." Caroline explained. I couldn't be more excited about it.

"Duke goes to Duke?" Jeremy asked. If only he did.

"His real name is Bob or something, but he buys the beer so who cares what his name is." She continued. "Everyone goes, even younger siblings of the popular kids."

I rolled my eyes at her. She then noticed Josh and walked off.

Taylor's POV

"We're not opening the tomb." I told her, despite knowing it was fruitless.

"I think she will." Anna replied, not looking at me.

"So, I'm guessing you're not in this for Katherine. So who is it that you want out of that tomb?" I asked.

"My mother." She answered. "Katherine couldn't help herself and she ended up getting captured, along with the rest of them. I watched Jonathan Gilbert take her away."

"I'm sorry, but you can't blame me for that." I responded.

"Let's skip the dead mom bonding so you can serve a purpose." Anna suggested bluntly.

"What would that be?" I asked.

"Leverage." Anna answered as she took out my phone. "Let's call your boyfriend and see if he's willing to make a trade."

I wish I could hear what Stefan was saying.

"She's fine, and she'll stay fine if you give me the grimoire" Anna stated. "So your brother has it. I have the witch. One of you meet me in town square in half an hour so we can discuss how fun it's gonna be to work together."

She left soon after leaving Ben in charge of watching us. I wondered if she would regret that.

"So you're the key to this." He said to Bonnie. "You open the door. How does that feel?

Bonnie then created a fire and we made a break for it, but he put it out and grabbed me. Bonnie came back because we both didn't want me dead.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were walking out of the Grill.

"Hey, there's Anna." He remarked. "I need to find out why she left so early last night."

Before I could respond, he was calling her name and running over to her. I sighed and followed.

"Hey, what happened to you last night?"

"I…I had to leave." Anna stammered. She looked surprised. She was probably busy. "I told Taylor to tell you."

"I haven't seen her." Jeremy said.

"I gotta run." She replied.

"Do you wanna go to a party tonight?" He asked.

"What?" Anna asked. Now she looked confused.

"Yeah, it's at the cemetery by the old Fell's Church." Jeremy remarked. I was kind of hoping to get some alone time with him, but sure, why not?

"I don't wanna impose." Anna replied.

"It's really fine. It'll be fun." Jeremy urged.

"Sure, but I really gotta go." She responded. We then headed in different directions.

"Jeremy, we need to talk about you inviting her over without telling me." I declared.

"It wasn't a big deal." Jeremy replied.

"I don't care if you were just playing video games. I just think that you should tell me." I said. "I don't even care that you had her over. I'm upset because you didn't tell me. Do you promise to tell me in the future?"

He answered me with a kiss, which wasn't an answer.

"You have nothing to worry about." He promised.

Taylor's POV

Ben was trying to boast about his authority. He tried to make threats before Stefan broke the door open. Ben ran for cover from the sun.

"Get outside." Stefan instructed. The two of us ran out without question.

We went to Bonnie's grandma's house afterwards. It was the first time I'd been there.

"So what do we do now?" I asked everyone.

"Now you need to stay here." Stefan replied.

"A prisoner in my own home, I don't think so." Sheila replied.

"I can't protect you if you leave." Stefan remarked. She's a witch, Stefan.

"We should let Damon have Veronica back. I think if we open this tomb, we won't have any problem." I suggested.

"Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. We try to stay out, but we keep get pulled back in." Sheila stated. "I'll open the tomb. You get your brother's girl out and then destroy the rest with fire."

"We have to get Damon to agree." Stefan pointed out.

"Let me handle that." I requested.

Later that day, I went to the boarding house, now wearing a plaid pink shirt and jeans. I walked over to Damon.

"Who jailbroke you?" Damon asked.

"Stefan let me out." I explained.

"Such a hero that one is." Damon commented.

"We want to open the tomb tonight." I remarked. "Bonnie and her grams are going to cast the spell."

"Why should I believe you?" He questioned.

"Because I believe that you love Veronica. I believe that you would do anything to for her, which is why I decided to give you the book." I explained. "You don't exactly have any options when it comes to opening the tomb."

"I know my share of witches." He explained.

"Yeah, but how long will it take to get them here? This is a chance to do this now." I responded. "We all want this for you."

"Not interested." He replied, clutching the book.

"Why didn't you compel me in Atlanta? You could have. You could have compelled me to sleep with you or kiss you, or do anything, but you didn't." I told him. I was sure he didn't.

"How do you know I didn't?" Damon inquired as he put the book down.

"I just know." I answered. "We bonded on that trip. As much as I hate to admit it, you're not terrible company."

"I'll kill you if you double-cross me again." He threatened.

"I know." I responded.

"I didn't compel you because we were having fun." Damon stated. "I want it to be real. I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it."

That night, I headed to the cemetery with him. I forgot all about the Duke party. I hope things wouldn't go wrong, because that could wind up very bad.

We walked over the church and found the tomb. Bonnie, Stefan, and her grandma were there and Elena had also showed up. The first thing that she did was give me a hug.

"I'm fine." I told her. "Well, except for the fact that you're crushing me."

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were at the party. He was looking around for Anna.

"Maybe she's not gonna show." I suggested. Tyler then walked over. What was he doing talking to us?

"Hey man, do you have any weed?" He asked.

"He quit." I remarked. At least he told me he quit.

"I don't get you." Jeremy commented.

"Lighten up. If you don't have any, that's fine." Tyler remarked.

"She's right. I did quit." Jeremy replied. Tyler walked away and just as suddenly, Anna was behind us. How did she do that?

"You made it." I declared.

"Yup." She confirmed. "Do you mind if I borrow him for a few minutes?"

"No." I replied before they walked off. I sighed. I guess I decided that if he was going to dump me for her, I should let him and not drag it out at all.

Taylor's POV

Bonnie's grandma begin to cast the spell using the four elements. I also noticed that Damon had a bag of blood.

"What's that?" Stefan asked. It's blood. It says so on the bag.

"It's for Ronnie. She needs something to get her going." Damon explained. "Admit it. You can't wait until I leave."

After a few minutes, the witches opened the tomb. I saw the stone door slowly open. Stefan went to go get the flamethrower. Damon grabbed my hand.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked.

"I'm not going in there alone." Damon replied. I realized that this would happen.

"Yes you are." Bonnie threatened.

"Don't." I replied. "He needs leverage to make sure that you don't close the door as soon as he goes inside. I get that and I'll go with him." I remarked. "Let's get this over with."

Damon grabbed a torch to light the way and I followed him into the tomb. I clutched my flashlight tight. I hoped that this wouldn't be too scary. I didn't need to have any nightmares. Although, I don't know what could scare me anymore. I've just recently been kidnapped. I'll be okay. I know I'll be okay.

I went down the stairs. It was very dark. I'm glad that I conquered my fear of that. We began to look around I wasn't entirely sure what we were looking for. What did the vampires look like? I heard a screeching.

"What is that?" I asked in fear. Okay, I'm afraid.

"They can sense you." He explained. "Now where is Veronica?"

He ran off and left me behind. That was not cool. I started to look for Damon hoping that I wouldn't come across any zombie vampires. They couldn't move, right? They weren't going to try to eat me, right? Wait, who am I talking to?

I shined the light and saw the bodies of the vampires. Please tell that I'm not in a horror movie, especially not a really bad one. I spun around as a feeling of vertigo overtook me. I fell over realizing that I hadn't tripped over an object. It was one of the bodies. Its eyes opened up and I wanted to get the hell out.

"Hello again." Anna remarked. "So here you are. You get rescued and you come down here anyway. You're making this too easy. I wouldn't have bothered to kidnap you if I had known this….Mother."

I don't know why, but it felt kind of good to see the look of joy on her face. Then she looked at me angrily.

"Your boyfriend did this." She told me.

"His father did." I corrected.

"Jonathan Gilbert shot her. I vowed it would be Gilbert blood that brought her back. I had Jeremy ready, but you'll do just fine."

She bit into my wrist and I screamed. She then took said wrist and fed the blood into her mom's mouth and held me down so I couldn't escape. Luckily, Stefan threw her off and tried to get me to leave. I noticed Anna's mom coming back to life. I knew her name, but couldn't remember it. Anna hugged her and cried. It made me smile, even though I was missing some blood.

"We can't leave without Damon." I told Stefan.

We began to look for the older Salvatore. I found him standing in the center.

"She's not here!" He yelled as he threw the bag of blood at the wall. It burst upon impact. That might not have been a good idea. He was completely breaking down. "I don't want to leave if she's not here."

"Damon you have to go." Stefan replied.

"Please." I requested as I held my hand out. He grabbed onto it and I led him out. Damon was still crying about the fact that Veronica wasn't inside and I felt his pain. I knew she wasn't inside, but it still hurt to see him like this. I decided to give him a hug.

Ashley's POV

After half an hour, I decided to look for them. I hoped that I wouldn't find the two of them having sex against a tree. I walked around and I eventually found Jeremy lying unconscious on the ground. I rushed over to him and woke him up.

"Jeremy!" I responded. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He said as he sat up.

"Where's Anna?" I asked.

"I don't know." He remarked. "My head hurts."

I then noticed Elena, Taylor, Stefan, Damon, Bonnie and her grandma coming out of ruins of Fell's Church.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"You don't wanna know." Taylor replied. "Are you okay, Jeremy?"

"I'm fine." Jeremy repeated.

"I'll take him home and you can finish…whatever you were doing." I replied. I pulled Jeremy up and we began to walk to his house. We went inside and I got him something for his headache. "So do you have any idea what happened?"

"If I tell you something, do you promise to keep it a secret?" He asked.'

"Sure." I remarked.

"I think Anna's a vampire."

Taylor's POV

Elena and I went over to Bonnie's. I was on the phone with Stefan. I then noticed Bonnie was shaking her grandma. This was bad. I hung up and we held the witch as she cried hysterically and realized Sheila was dead.

Definitely a sad ending. Plus, Jeremy has his suspicions that he can't yet confirm and has shared them with Ashley. There will be a few surprises in the next chapter so please don't forget to review.


	16. A Few Good Men

Taylor's POV

It had been several days since we had opened the tomb, and a few days since Bonnie's grandma's funeral. I wore a simple blue dress. Elena was checking on Bonnie outside while I stood by. Bonnie was staying with her dad since her mom was kind of AWOL. They couldn't even track her to find out that her mother was dead.

"What are you two up to?" Jenna asked us after Elena hung up. She had some coffee. "It's cold out here."

"Bonnie's grandma's funeral brought back memories of Mom and Dad." Elena replied. Yes it did. "We just didn't feel like sitting in the house."

"Well I have something you might be interested in." Jenna told me. "I did some digging about your birth mother."

"Let's go inside." Jenna instructed. Soon we were in front of her laptop. "Your dad kept all of his records. I happened to find an entry for Isobel Peterson."

"Do you think that's her real name?" Elena asked.

"Teen runaway, probably not." Jenna answered. I frowned. That wasn't helpful. "I think it might have been a friend's name. I googled all of the Petersons in the area born the same year as her and found this one: Trudie Peterson. She lives in Grove Hill."

Jenna then did another search and came up with pictures. She found one of what I think was Isobel and Trudie. They were both cheerleaders.

"Well obviously I didn't inherit that from her." I remarked.

"I have Trudie's address." Jenna replied as she handed me a post-it. "I couldn't find anything on Isobel."

"Well I guess it's something." I remarked.

"There is something else." Jenna added. "Alaric's wife was from around here and also named Isobel."

"Was?" Elena asked. So I guess that my mother is dead. Damn it.

"She died." Jenna confirmed.

Not long after, Stefan was in my room as I prepared to go.

"I mean there is no way that Mr. Saltzman's wife could be my mother. It's too big of a coincidence." I stated. "My new history teacher is also my stepfather, what are the odds of that? Elena and I are going there today."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He questioned.

"No, but I want to do it." I admitted. "I have to know, even if she is dead. Maybe I can at least find out some things about her."

"Did Jenna tell you anything about Alaric's wife?" Stefan asked.

"She was murdered and they didn't find the body." I replied. "How do they know that was murdered if there was no body?"

"When we were at the school, he told me about her death." Stefan explained. "But there's no way that she's your mother."

"How's Damon?" I asked.

"He's dealing with it." He answered. I don't know if I liked the sound of that.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were in my house doing our homework. I was wearing a black dress. Suddenly, Caroline came in, completely red-faced. She looked like she was very embarrassed.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"No I'm not okay." She replied. "Josh's aunt caught us trying to have sex."

"How did this happen?" I asked curiously.

"His aunt Meredith was working and he had a key to her apartment, but she ended up coming back right as we were starting to get busy." Caroline explained. "It makes me wanna die."

"Quit being such a drama queen." I told her before she went to her room. I then looked at Jeremy. "Sorry about that."

"Well I've been on the other side of that." Jeremy admitted. "I kind of caught Jenna and Mr. Saltzman."

"I imagine those images are hard to get out of your mind." I joked. I then decided to change the subject. I lowered my voice to a whisper. "So are you sure about Anna?"

"No, I can't be sure." Jeremy replied. "I mean for all I know, she could just be weird, but her face looking kind of freaky and monstrous. I can't really explain it."

"Well I haven't seen her since the party." I declared. "Plus we've seen in the daylight. Vampires can't walk in the sun. Not even in _Twilight._"

"You have to be the only one who likes those." Jeremy commented.

"They have conventions." I argued as I hit his shoulder. "Just because it's trendy to bash doesn't mean people don't like it."

Taylor's POV

Elena and I stood outside of the house.

"We don't have to do this." She told me.

"I want to." I replied as I knocked on the door. A woman answered the door. "Hi. My name is Taylor Gilbert. This is my sister Elena. I want to talk to you about Isobel Fleming."

"I haven't heard that name in years." Trudie declared. "How do you know her?"

"I think she might be my birth mother." I stated.

"Oh my god." Trudie responded. "I was gonna make some tea. Would you like some?"

"Yes." I answered. The two of us walked in. We took a seat. "I'm sorry to just show up like this. I mean I don't even know how I feel about this. I want to…I don't know what I want."

"It's no problem, but a surprise." Trudie stated. "I haven't thought about Isobel in years."

"When did you see her last?" Elena asked. Well I guess it's okay for her to ask.

"It was about 17 years ago." Trudie answered. "We kept in touch, but eventually lost contact."

"Where was she when you spoke to her last?" I questioned.

"She had just graduated from Duke." The woman answered. She must have been pretty smart.

"Do you know who my father might be?" I inquired.

"She never told me." Trudie declared as the kettle went off.

Ashley's POV

"Do you wanna go get some lunch at the Grill?" Jeremy asked.

"No thanks, I've been sick to my stomach all day." I responded as I touched my belly.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, now sounding concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's probably just a bug." I answered.

Taylor's POV

She showed us some old photo albums.

"Everyone came for us." Trudie explained. "We were the stars. The football team sucked. Do you cheer?"

"Elena does, but I quit because I sucked. I guess that wasn't genetic." I joked.

"You haven't touched your tea." Trudie remarked. I decided to take a sip. It tasted kind of strange. "What's in this?"

"It's an herb." Trudie answered nonchalantly.

"Would it be vervain by any chance?" I asked. If she knew about vervain, did she know about vampires? "You know, don't you? You know about vampires."

"I think you should go." Trudie replied. "Both of you please leave now."

We went out the door and caught sight of a creepy looking man. We got into the car and sped away without any second though.

Later, I walked into the Salvatore house, looking for Stefan. I ended up finding Damon with her shirt off.

"Hi there." He greeted. I tried to look away. Why did he have to be ripped?

"You look…" I started.

"Dashing, gorgeous, irresistible?" He asked as he stepped closer to me. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Trashed." I finished. "And you smell like it too."

"Says you." He responded. "Did you know that I'm one of the most eligible bachelors in all of Mystic Falls?"

Well there really weren't that many to choose from. Mystic Falls was a town that seemed to have more single women in it than men. I was glad I had a boyfriend.

"Well I guess the bachelor crop must be weak then." I quipped. As soon as it left my mouth, I realized how mean that sounded. "But I'm sure that you'll be catch for whoever is unlucky enough to have you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. So what do you need? I am Favor Man today apparently." Damon replied as he tried putting on a shirt. He seemed to be having trouble with the buttons. "How can I help you?"

"I'm waiting for Stefan." I declared. He really looked like he needed help. "We're going to the fundraiser together."

"A little help?" He requested. I sighed, wondering if he was really too drunk or just playing with me. I began to button his shirt.

"So I found out who my birth mother is, even if she might be dead." I told him. I don't know why. I guess I just wanted to tell someone.

"Who cares?" He asked. I don't know why I thought he would. "She abandoned you. As far as I see it, you're better off without her."

I guess he did kind of have a point. Maybe I was okay with her being dead. It was at that point, I noticed my boyfriend.

"Stefan, I was looking for you." I told him as I noticed Damon was struggling with her jacket too. I shot him a look saying 'I am not helping with that."

"I have got to lay off the sorority girls. You would think that girls so thin wouldn't be high in fat." Damon remarked before he walked away.

"Are you sure he's okay?" I asked Stefan.

"He's Damon. He drinks when he's happy." Stefan explained.

"Well maybe being heartbroken will help him remember he has one." I opined.

"I wouldn't count on it." Stefan replied.

"So, Elena and I ended up going. It was weird. She was serving us vervain. She knows about vampires, Stefan."

"I have confirmation that Alaric's wife is your birth mother." He stated as he showed me a picture. So I have a stepfather then. "Everything he knows about vampires he learned for her. The murder is unsolved because she was killed by one."

"Oh my god." I replied.

"I know you and Alaric might want to bond over this, but can you give me some time." He requested.

Shortly after, we were at the Grill for the raffle. I found Elena with Matt.

"These older women keep hitting on him." Elena told me with a smile on her face.

"It's not funny, Elena." Matt replied, obviously flustered. I think it was kind of funny. It was then Matt's mom walked up. I didn't know she was back. Elena gave her a hug.

"Taylor, it's good to see you too." Kelly added. "I hear that you and Josh broke up."

I then looked at Mr. Saltzman. I don't know if I should talk to him. I promised Stefan that I wouldn't. I was pretty happy with the family that I had, even if I still hadn't told Jeremy about the vampires. Speaking of which, I noticed him with Ashley and decided to walk over to them.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I sat in the Grill while I drank my ginger ale. I hadn't eaten all day. I don't know why my stomach hurt so much. I then noticed Taylor walking over.

"Well if it isn't my best friend and my favorite brother." She commented.

"I'm your only brother." Jeremy pointed out.

"Just because it's by default doesn't make it not true." She pointed out. I giggled. What can I say? I like her stupid jokes. She noticed the lack of food in front of me. "Is that all you're having?"

"My stomach has been acting all day." I remarked. "I heard it's supposed to be good for you."

"You should get some fries. I hear salt is good for stomach aches as well." Taylor suggested.

"I guess I can try it." I agreed. "You know we should double date some time."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Taylor responded. "There might be certain aspects to our relationships that Jeremy and I don't want to know."

I immediately realized what she meant. I guess I didn't think of the implications of a brother and sister double-dating versus a pair of sisters, not that I would ever go on a double date with Caroline that is.

She sat with us during the action. Currently they were on Bachelor Number Three: the loser plumber. Seriously, I don't know if my dad would like any of these guys, well at least not the first three.

Taylor's POV

I watched as…maybe I should start calling him Alaric…took the mike. Mrs. Lockwood had a bit of trouble pronouncing his name. It was kind of funny. I guess it made the contest more interesting. He then talked about his job and I could practically see Jenna begging that she would win, but several other women looked very interested in him as well. She might have to fight off some cougars for him.

Finally she went to Damon.

"Damon Salvatore. We don't have much on you." She stated.

"Well I'm tough to fit on a card. While, I don't have a job, I am very wealthy." Damon replied as I rolled my eyes.

"Do you have any hobbies?" The mayor's wife asked.

"Yeah, I've been everywhere: LA, New York. I was in North Carolina a couple of years ago and met a lovely woman." Damon said. I realized just what he was saying. Damon basically told everyone that he killed my mother. Damon killed my mother.

"You okay?" Ashley asked.

"I need to go outside." I remarked.

I went outside and Stefan followed me.

"Did you know that Damon killed her?" I asked him.

"Alaric said that they never found the body." Stefan declared.

"I was feeling sorry for him. I can't believe that he did this." I replied. I wondered to myself if I should really hold him accountable for killing someone that I never knew and did not even know existed until just recently.

"Damon doesn't know that she was your mother." Stefan explained. "This was two years ago."

"Stefan, I don't want to hear you defending him." I remarked in frustration.

"I want him to change too." Stefan told me. I then noticed the mysterious guy from Trudie's.

"I saw that guy outside of Trudie Peterson's house." I said.

"Let's go inside." Stefan suggested.

When I walked back in, I collided with Damon.

"Whoa, you need to buy a ticket." He joked.

"I wouldn't go out with you if _you_ paid _me._" I responded.

"Technically, that would make you an escort." He pointed out. I was in no mood for his games. I had to give him a piece of my mind.

"You know how I told you I found out who my birth mother was?" I asked him. He nodded. "Well her name was Isobel Saltzman. Do you wanna rub it in my face too?"

I then walked back out and found that mystery man was still there.

"I have a message for you." He stated.

"Who are you?" Stefan asked.

"Stop looking." The guy continued. "She doesn't want to know you.

"Isobel's alive?" I asked in surprise.

"Do you understand?" He asked.

"Taylor, he's been compelled." Stefan explained to me. Well that meant I wasn't going to get info from him.

"Do you understand?" He repeated.

"Yes." I answered.

"Good. I'm done now." The man remarked before he stepped into traffic and was flattened by a truck. Oh my god.

"We need to go." Stefan told me as he pulled me away. From there, he took me home.

Ashley's POV

I just came out of the bathroom. I had spent the last 15 minutes puking guts out.

"Are you okay?" Jeremy asked me. "You were in there for a long time."

I realized something. It had been about two months since Jeremy and I had hooked up. I hope it wasn't that.

"Jeremy, I think I might be pregnant." I stated.

So this one is up to you the reviewers. Do you want Ashley to be pregnant? Keep in mind that she wouldn't have the baby until season 3. Also Taylor forgot about everything too. She is acknowledging Alaric as her stepfather. Please don't forget to review.


	17. There Goes the Neighborhood

Ashley's POV

"Are you sure?" Jeremy asked.

"No, I'm not sure." I replied. "It's just what I think. I can't be sure."

"You should probably take a test." Jeremy suggested.

"I can't do that." I explained. "Look, everyone in this town knows that my mom is the sheriff. I can't let anyone find out about this because I don't want her to know that I'm having sex."

"How will you know then?" He challenged.

"Well the way I see it, if I start to have really weird cravings and feeling very hungry, I'll know I'm pregnant." I replied. Was it a good plan? Probably not, but it was better than having it be a false alarm and letting my mom know we had sex.

Taylor's POV

The next day, I was at school talking to Stefan by my locker.

"Damon keeps shutting me out." He stated.

"Maybe he's still looking for Veronica." I suggested.

"Well he waited almost a century and a half to find out Ronnie didn't care." Stefan remarked. "It has to hurt."

"I believe some people call that karma." I declared.

"You have your reasons to be upset with him." He said. "Though, Isobel did ask him to turn her."

"I don't care about her anymore." I replied honestly. "It seems like all of this is a big headache."

"Sorry." He apologized. He really has to stop doing it.

"I just wish I could have a vampire-free day." I declared. I then looked at his face. "No vampires but you that is. I meant I want to do normal stuff."

We walked down the hall and I couldn't help but notice Josh and Caroline.

"Taylor, can I talk to you for a moment?" Josh requested. Caroline didn't seem to know what was going on and neither did I.

The two of us walked off somewhere quiet.

Ashley's POV

I walked through the school, still feeling sick to my stomach. Jeremy was by my side. I really hoped that I wasn't pregnant. I was wearing a black leather vest, white t-shirt, and black pants. I knew if I was pregnant, I was need less formfitting clothes.

"Do you still feel sick?" He asked.

"I'm just praying for the best right now." I admitted. "We need to keep our sisters in the dark until we know for sure."

Taylor's POV

"Do you want to tell me what you're doing dating a vampire?" Josh asked.

"How do you know?" I asked in surprise.

"I heard him talking to Logan after I learned about my uncle's death. I slowly put the pieces together." He explained. This was bad.

"Have you told anyone?" I questioned.

"Not yet." He answered. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Look, you don't know Stefan." I stated. "He's a good guy. Why don't you and Caroline come on a double date with us? You two can get to know each other, and if then you can think about if you want to tell people about him. I know you're looking out for me, but I kind of love him. We could have dinner at the Grill and see a late movie. Give us tonight."

"Okay one night." Josh agreed. "You have one night to convince me."

He went away and I noticed Stefan who had been listening to our conversation. I walked over to him.

"This is going to be fine." I promised. "I'm sure that Josh will like you when he gets to know you. I know it's not your average double date, but give him a chance. I expect the same from you that I do from him."

Ashley's POV

After school, Jeremy and I were in his room.

"So do you really think Anna is a vampire?" I asked, trying to think about something else other than the possible baby inside of me.

"It's one possible thing that I can think, but I don't know how to prove it." Jeremy remarked.

Taylor's POV

I was preparing for my date. I was in a strapless black dress. It had a built-in corset, but I did have some experience with them. I don't know why I chose this one. I heard a knock at the door and there was Stefan with a bouquet.

"Flowers?" I asked in surprise.

"It's a date." He reminded me. I let him in and he kissed me while I went to put them in a vase. "I would have driven, but you have the car."

"Why don't you have a car?" I asked curiously.

"I have one, but I don't drive it." He explained. "So are you sure that I can trust Josh?"

"One of Josh's greatest qualities is that he likes to hear everyone's side to the story." I replied. "He's a great guy. I wish I could have loved him, but it didn't work."

"Okay, then let's have fun." Stefan agreed. "I wanted to be able to do things like this. I wanted to be your boyfriend and we don't have to deal with the drama for once."

"Have you ever double-dated before?" I asked curiously.

"I went several times with Hugh Hefner actually." He replied.

"So those issues of _Playboy_ are you supporting your friend's business I suppose." I joked.

"I've never need the magazine. I could always have the real thing." He responded with a smile. He then took my hand and we headed to my car and toward the Grill.

Once we were there, we were all at a table.

"So Josh, have you seen any good movies lately?" I asked. I looked to Stefan. "Josh loves watching old movies."

"I wouldn't exactly call _Say Anything _old." Josh remarked.

"Well it still has one of the most memorable scenes of all time." Stefan commented. They were kind of getting along already. This was good.

Then I heard the sounds of giggling. I saw Meredith Fell with Damon and Jenna taking shot after shot. Oh for the love of God. Why do they have to be here? I mean yeah this is the only bar in town, but why?

"You gotta be kidding me." Josh remarked. I then noticed Damon winked at me. This could not get any…I'm not finishing that thought.

Ashley's POV

We were working on our homework. I'm pretty sure that Jeremy's grades were improving. I heard the doorbell ring. Jeremy went downstairs and I followed him. He opened it and there was Anna.

"Anna, I wasn't expecting you." He remarked. She didn't look particularly vampiric. I mean the ones in _Twilight_ had either gold or red eyes. Hers were born. Then again, I doubt _Twilight_ is accurate.

"I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by." She declared.

"I thought you and your mom were moving." I remarked.

"Well we're staying now." Anna replied. We were both a little freaked out. "I thought you two would be happier to see me."

"We're just a little surprised." Jeremy said.

"Then step aside." She stated as she entered the house. There goes the having to be invited in part. Though, didn't he invite her in before?

Taylor's POV

We were playing pool as we noticed the supposed responsible adults still drinking. Talk about a bad example.

"Well at least they're having fun." Caroline said sardonically.

"They're plastered." I declared matter-of-factly.

"You guys remember what happened after homecoming last year?" Josh asked.

"Yes." Caroline laughed.

"We were drunk as fuck." I added. I didn't know what that meant.

"Her parents were here and naturally they blamed me." Josh stated.

"You forgot the part where I injured myself." I added.

"That's a normal day for you." Josh joked. Ouch.

"Well I'm going to the bathroom." Caroline announced. "Taylor, you coming?"

I took the hint and the two of us went to the bathroom. I don't know what she wanted to talk about.

"So what did you want to talk about?" I asked

"What's with all of the reminiscing?" She asked. "We don't need to dwell on your relationship with Josh. It's over. Wasn't that the reason for this double date in the first place?"

No, the reason was to convince Josh to keep Stefan's secret, but I guess I couldn't tell her that.

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to make it less awkward." I declared

"Well you're making it more awkward." She said icily before she exited the latrine. I followed after her in frustration.

"Veronica." A bearded man said to me as I exited.

"I think you have me confused for someone else." I declared.

"My mistake." He replied as he let me go.

"What was that about?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know." I lied as we went back to the table. "How's it going?"

"Josh cheats." Stefan complained.

"I'm just awesome." Josh replied. It seemed like they were getting along. I hope they were getting along. I then showed Stefan a text message detailing what happened. We looked up and the man was gone. I can't be positive that he was a vampire, but it seemed likely.

Afterwards, we headed to the boarding house.

"Was this the first time you saw this guy?" Stefan asked inside of my car.

"Yes." I replied. "It was weird."

"Let's call it a night and send them home." He suggested.

"No." I responded. "Let's not let this ruin anything. We can deal with it tomorrow."

We kissed before we went inside.

"This place is amazing." Caroline gushed.

"I've always wanted to see inside of here." Josh added.

"Well I guess it a bit much." Stefan stated.

"Even my house isn't this big." Josh commented as they looked around.

"I feel like I've been here." Caroline remarked. She had. At that time, Josh saw Stefan's toy cars.

"If you think those are impressive wait until you see this." Stefan remarked as we went to the garage. I didn't know that was an old VW Beetle in it. Caroline wasn't impressed and walked off.

"Caroline, I'm sorry. I can't help it." I responded. "I really wanted for Josh and Stefan to get to know each other. I think that they could be friends."

After a few minutes, they seemed to get the car started. She still wasn't very impressed.

"Why don't you and Caroline take it out for a spin?" Stefan suggested. Josh seemed to like the idea, and more importantly, he seemed to like Stefan. They drove off and Stefan looked at me.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I guess vampires aren't the only source of drama here." I remarked as he hugged me.

Ashley's POV

Anna, Jeremy and I were in the kitchen. We were going to make sandwiches.

"Roast beef, turkey, or ham?" He asked. It all sounded so good.

"Let's do the works." Anna suggested. That definitely sounded good to me. I concurred with her opinion. Is this cravings?

"Okay, you wanna get the bread?" Jeremy asked. I went to the refrigerator and grabbed some drinks for us. I don't know if she was a vampire, but she was fun to be around.

"Ahh." Jeremy grunted as I realized that he had purposely cut himself. This is was how he planned on proving it. I noticed something weird happening to Anna's face. Her eyes were turning red and these formed under them.

"What are you doing?" Anna asked as she pinned him against the fridge.

"I knew it." He remarked. "Go for it."

"This is a bad idea." I remarked before Anna started to drink Jeremy's blood. I couldn't watch this. "You need to stop."

"Jeremy?" Jenna called. That got her to stop. The two of us left the kitchen.

"Hey Jenna." He greeted her.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Regretful." Jenna replied. "You should probably get home soon."

I looked into the kitchen and noticed that Anna was gone. Well we definitely found out. I hoped that she was trust us with this. I think Anna is one of the nice vampires.

Taylor's POV

I walked around the boarding house as we waited for them to return.

"Do you think we have enough time to head to your room?" I asked.

"I don't think now is the best time." He suggested. "The last thing that we need to do is lose track of time."

"Yeah, I guess I can wait." I agreed. "So you and Josh really seemed to bond tonight. I knew that he would like you. So what did you guys talk about?"

"Well he was kind of protective of you." Stefan replied. "He basically told me to never hurt you, but he does think that I love you, which I do."

"I love you too, Stefan." I reciprocated as we kissed before the two of them came back.

Unfortunately, our night managed to be ruined because Damon brought Meredith home. She must have been really drunk, that or Damon compelled her, but I don't know if could do that while drunk. Josh didn't know what to do. He ended up just leaving. That left me to take Caroline home.

"I'm sorry about how this ended." Stefan apologized.

"Well at least it was pretty good and we seemed to accomplish the mission that we wanted." I remarked. "I don't think Josh will be a big fan of Damon."

"Well Josh won't try to kill him. He is not Logan." I responded. "He isn't a violent person by design, but he does know self-defense."

"I'm a little worried about you with that guy you saw." He admitted.

"I'll be fine." I promised. "I can't be afraid that someone is going to come after all the time. I can make it home."

"Will you call me?" He requested.

"Of course." I told him before we kissed again. I liked kissing him a lot.

From there I took Caroline home. I hoped she wasn't mad at me.

"Are you mad at me still?" I asked.

"No, Josh and I had a nice intimate moment in the car…but not that. It's rude to have sex in someone else's car." She declared.

Right as I got home, it started to rain. I can't believe this, I went into the living room, and found that Jeremy and Ashley were there.

"You're here late." I noted.

"Well I think it's gonna storm." Ashley replied, looking over to them. "I called my mom and let her know that I'm staying over. If anyone asks, I spent the night in your room."

"Okay." I agreed.

"How was the date?" Ashley then asked.

"It was interesting and I would say that it was all-around pretty good." I remarked. "So make sure not to have too much fun."

She stuck her tongue out at me before I went upstairs.

I called Stefan, and while I think something was up there, he promised not to tell me about it until the morning. I hoped it wasn't too bad.

Ashley's POV

Later in the night, we were up in Jeremy's room. I then realized something about how I could find out if I was pregnant or not. I had to talk to her again.

She ended up coming in through the window.

"Let me start by saying what Jeremy did was very stupid." I declared. "Anna, can you do me a favor?"

"That would depend on what it is." Anna remarked.

"Can you get me a pregnancy test?" I asked her.

So you have to wait another chapter to find out if she's pregnant or not. Also Josh knows about Stefan, but he learned to be okay with it. He's a Fell, he couldn't stay in the dark as long as the others. Never chapter features a rescue mission. Please don't forget to review.


	18. Let the Right One In

Ashley's POV

"I thought you already knew." Anna declared.

"What would I know?" I asked.

"You're pregnant." Anna replied.

"How do you know?" Jeremy asked in shock.

"I can hear the baby's heartbeat." The vampire explained. "I'm guessing you're not thrilled."

There was a sudden thunder clap before I could say anything. That was kind of a summed up what hit me.

"I love storms." Anna remarked.

"Really? I read vampires hate running water." Jeremy said.

"That's only Dracula." Anna explained as I was still trying to take everything in. I don't know if I could do this. "He was a total wuss, never showered, very smelly. Are you okay?"

Before I could answer, Anna was out the window and Taylor was in the room.

"You two are still up." She noted.

"What's up?" Jeremy asked.

"A storm is coming. We need all of the windows closed so Elena can get her beauty sleep." Taylor explained. I could practically hear Elena's eyes rolling.

"Yeah." Jeremy replied as Taylor turned to leave.

"I'm pregnant." I told her. That got her to turn around.

"Oh." She replied, clearly shocked. I think she was too shocked to have any other reactions because she left.

Taylor's POV

The next day I was at the boarding house. It was pouring rain outside. Damon was boarding up where some tomb vampires broke in. I wore a white tank top with a white jacket or it and jeans with a pair of pink heels.

"I say we break in and kill the asshole that did this." Damon suggested.

"And what about the rest of them?" Stefan inquired.

"I can't believe you made a deal with her." I responded.

"It was more of her forcing the deal into my face." Damon corrected. "She's also gonna help me Veronica."

"Well Damon gets what he wants." I pointed out.

"There's no need for you to be snarky about it." He replied.

"I found out that all of the vampires got out, not to mention my brother knocked up my best friend. I've earned snarky."

"This isn't productive. We'll find out how to deal with them." Stefan promised before Damon left the room.

"I'm sorry. He's just really good at pushing my buttons and this whole Ashley and Jeremy makes me uncomfortable." I explained.

"I know." He said as he hugged me. "Damon and I will handle things."

"What am I going to do?" I asked. "I can't do nothing."

"You are going to think about how good it will be to be a non-biological aunt." He told me. "I have Damon on my side."

Ashley's POV

It was still raining heavily. Jeremy and I were in the Grill with Anna. I felt bad for her because I think we were the only friends apparently. I don't know why she didn't have vampire friends. I was in a red top and jeans. I probably wouldn't be able to wear tight jeans much longer.

"We have some time. I'm not meeting my mom until later." Anna replied.

"Does your mom know that you're?" Jeremy asked.

"I bet she's one too." I commented.

"Ashley's the one who's right." She told us. "So are the matching bracelets supposed to be some pre-wedding band, thing?"

"That's not really at this point." I replied, blushing.

"Sorry, I guess you don't want a shotgun wedding." Anna responded. "They are nice bracelets."

"Taylor got them for us." Jeremy explained.

"Does Taylor know that you're hanging with me?" My fellow Goth asked.

"I didn't say anything." I stated.

"Is it a big deal?" Jeremy asked. "She doesn't know what you are."

"I'd like to keep it between the three of us." Anna requested. I hoped that Taylor wouldn't ask what I was doing all of the time then. "So you and Caroline don't seem like you are too close."

"Well we're kind of polar opposite, but I love her." I admitted. "I do not love my dad's boyfriend. It's the fact that he's gay that bothers me, I'd probably feel the same if it was a woman that took my dad away."

Taylor's POV

I was at home as I waited for news from Stefan. My phone rang. It was Damon. I don't know why I even had his number. I pressed ignore and remembered that was why. I then heard a knock and opened it to see him. Naturally, he just waltzed right in I sighed as he did.

"You're ignoring me I see." He declared.

"Why would I want to do that?" I said in mock surprise.

"Is Stefan here?" He asked in concern.

"No, why?" I asked

"He went hunting and didn't come back. He hasn't been answering his phone." Damon explained. I called and he didn't answer.

"No answer." I declared. Yeah probably heard that so I don't know why I had to say it. "Any idea where he is."

"Are you sure you want to know?" He asked.

We drove to this cottage in the middle of the woods. Well they found a nice secluded spot. I waited in the car as Damon went to rescue Stefan. He came back without him.

"Why don't you have him with you?" I questioned.

"I can't get in. The woman who owns the house is compelled to not let me." He told me.

"We have to help him." I responded.

"I know, but I can't get in." Damon reiterated.

"I'll go." I volunteered.

"You'd be dead before you got past the front door." He pointed out.

"We have to do something." I replied.

"Taylor." He said as he grabbed onto my face. It was weird. "I know. I just don't know what to do."

"I have an idea." I suggested.

We went to the school. I hoped he would be there. I should really find out his home address because we can't keep going to the school to look for him.

Damon and him ended up getting in an altercation before I had to break it up.

"Mr. Saltzman, we need your help." I declared. We went to his room "Stefan is in the house. Damon's a vampire. He can't get in. I would go, but…"

"She isn't someone that can come back to life…" Damon finished.

"He told me about your ring." I added.

"What about it?" My teacher asked.

"I'll summarize: You tried to kill me. I did kill you. You are not dead." Damon responded. "Am I leaving anything out?"

"Yeah, the part where I do kill you." Alaric replied.

"Mr. Saltzman, I am asking you, as your stepdaughter, for help." I explained.

"Sorry, Taylor. It's not my problem." He stated.

"I bet he couldn't do it anyway." Damon taunted. "Come on. Let's go. Too bad, the woman in charge might be able to help you find your wife."

What was he saying? I don't think Pearl knew anything Isobel.

"You're lying." Alaric declared.

"Am I? Do you wanna find out?" He questioned as we turned to leave.

"Okay, I'll help." Mr. Saltzman agreed.

Ashley's POV

"So do you either of have any idea what I'm going to tell my mom?" I asked the two of them.

"I think the truth might be your best option." Anna opined. That wasn't the answer I wanted. "You're not going to be able to hide that from her."

"Jeremy, I think you might want to go into hiding for a little while." I suggested.

"You know your mom isn't a violent person." Jeremy replied. "You know, I don't know if I'm ready for this. I'm not saying for a second that I would leave you, but I don't know."

"Well I don't have any other options. I considered an abortion for the past few days, but I can't do it. I can't take someone's life like that, let alone my own child, let alone before they even get a chance to live. Maybe I can do an adoption, but I don't know."

"That's a good decision." Anna agreed. "I may not be completely opposed to killing, but…"

I then noticed a woman walk in. I think it was her mom. She got up immediately. I don't know if she wanted her mom to see us with her. I don't know why not.

Taylor's POV

I watched as Alaric unveiled his stash of weapons. There were stakes, knifes, these weird needles.

"Teacher by day, hunter by night." Damon commented.

"Thanks to you." The teacher quipped.

"What is this?" I asked as I picked up one of the needles.

"It's a tranquilizer filled with vervain." Alaric responded.

"Get me in and I'll get Stefan out." Damon instructed.

"Looks like we have plan of the year." I commented.

"Enough with the snark." Damon remarked.

I grabbed one of the needles.

"What are you doing?" Alaric asked.

"I'm going with." I declared.

"No you're not." Damon argued.

"Yes I am." I told him. "Stefan is my boyfriend and I'm not just going to sit at home and wait for you to return."

"Get out as quick as you can after you get me in." Damon instructed, ignoring me.

"Stop ignoring me." I said, anger rising.

"You want to help? You can drive the getaway car. Happy?" Damon suggested.

I glared at him.

"Don't give me some speech about how your love for him makes the world go round." He continued. "I can't protect you and myself. You would be a liability. I don't want you or him or any of us to die. I love him too."

"We should get going." Alaric remarked as he grabbed the stuff. I grabbed a stake off of the desk while no one was looking.

Ashley's POV

I was currently on the phone with Caroline. I wasn't going to tell her over the phone. I was more concerned about her safety.

"You should probably pull over." I suggested. "What's his name will have to wait."

"His name is Steven." Caroline remarked. "I don't know why you're not here with me."

"I don't like how he took Dad from us." I reminded her. "Anyway, I really think you shouldn't be driving in this weather."

"I know…" She said. I think that's what she said. She was breaking up. "Just come back."

Taylor's POV

We went back to the house. Alaric pretended to be a stranded motorist. Not that long after, I watched Damon kill some woman. I think that was the only way he could get in. They were taking a while, so I decided that I was going to head in. I wasn't some damsel in distress. I could be the hero.

Ashley's POV

I hadn't heard from Caroline and I returned to Jeremy. We had a pretty good view of Anna throwing darts by herself. She looked miserable. I wish I knew why she didn't want to introduce us to her mom.

Taylor's POV

I found a cellar entrance and decided to go in that way. It seemed more like a dungeon than a basement. I saw a vampire and prepared to stake him while he wasn't looking. Damon got to him before I did.

"What part of stay in the car don't you understand?" He lectured me.

Ashley's POV

After a few minutes, Anna followed her mom out of the restaurant. I couldn't help but notice that her mom looked pissed for some reason. I was confused about everything before I felt the need to vomit again. I thought this was over.

Taylor's POV

We found Stefan strung up by the ceiling.

"You shouldn't be here." He told me weakly.

"I know." Damon reiterated as he went to get the ropes.

"Vervain on the ropes." Stefan choked.

"Looks like you have some use after all." Damon replied as I untied him. Stefan had a cellmate that he wanted to help. Even with all of the cuts, he looks damn good without a shirt. "Now get him out of here."

I walked him out in the dark pouring rain. This was pretty scary. We ended up making it to the car on to find that the steering wheel was missing. This is not good. To make things worse, bearded guy from the tomb came and threw Stefan to the ground and began to beat him savagely. I had to do something. I grabbed the stake and jammed it into his back, hoping that I was hitting his heart. I noticed that his skin began to turn grey like Vicki's had. I did it. I killed him. Although, I then noticed that Stefan was in pretty bad shape. I looked at my hand and saw a cut. Without thinking, I stuck my hand into his mouth and let him drink.

Ashley's POV

My phone began to ring. It was my mom. I didn't know if I should answer it, but I did.

"Hello?" I answered.

"We need to talk." She remarked. Oh crap, does she know. I don't know if I can do this.

"About what?" I stammered.

"I found Caroline on the side of the road." She explained.

"Is she okay?" I asked,

"Physically, yes." Mom replied. "But what's more important is what she found or should I say who. She found Vicki Donovan's body."

Oh my god. I thought Vicki had just run away. I didn't know what to do. I had to tell Jeremy. He had the right to know.

"I'll talk to you later, Mom." I promised before I hung up.

I walked over to Jeremy slowly.

"So I have some more bad news." I told him.

"What is it?" He asked. I decided that I was just going to be blunt with it.

"Caroline found…Vicki…her body." I responded. That wasn't very blunt.

"What?" He asked.

"I don't know how long it was there but she was buried and the storm unearthed the grave." I replied. Was made it worse is what if the same night that we had sex with each other was the night that she died.

He started to cry. I didn't want this to happen to him. This was a guy that lost his parents not even a year ago. I hugged him tightly. The mayor apparently had got word of it. I bet he found it out by my mom.

Taylor's POV

We went back to the boarding house. I hoped that everything was going to be okay. I hoped that Stefan was going to be okay. I looked at the bandage where he had fed from my wrist.

"How long do these take to heal?" I wondered.

"The same that a normal cut would." He explained.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"I'm fine. Your blood helped me heal." Stefan stated.

"I don't mean physically." I responded. "I know that you've been around for a while, but you were still tortured."

"I'm fine." Stefan repeated. "That's not the worst that I've ever got. You know that you could have died coming to rescue me."

"Stefan, I wasn't going to stand by and wait. I love you and I would do it again."

Before he could kiss me, my phone started to ring…which I had put inside of my bra. I saw it was Elena and answered. I was shocked at the news. I thought Damon did a better job that putting her on the side of the road.

I went to the Donovan house. Pretty much everyone was there and crying. I couldn't cry anymore. I had done my share of it.

I went over to Ashley.

"So I'm guessing you didn't tell your mom." I stated. "Look, Ash, this is going to be a good thing."

I then took Jeremy home. Elena was going to be staying the night.

"Jeremy, are you going to be okay?" I asked him. "I know this has got to be tough. Just know that I love you and Elena and Jenna love you and also Ashley loves you. I know this is going to be hard, but you two are having a baby."

"I'm going to bed." He announced. I hoped that he would be okay.

Ashley is pregnant. Who needs a pregnancy test or even a doctor when you have a vampire? The question is will she manage to come to term with all of the danger of Mystic Falls? Also Taylor killed a vampire. That makes her more badass than Elena ever was. Please don't forget to review.


	19. Under Control

Taylor's POV

It had been a few days. Things seemed like they were finally getting back to normal. They weren't any more vampire attacks. Stefan had been taking it easy. I was giving him space because I don't know what it's like to go through what he went through.

"Come on, Jeremy we have to leave now." I told my brother as Elena and I headed out. He was currently upstairs. I opened the door and there was my uncle John.

"Taylor, Elena." He remarked

"Uncle John…" I stated.

"It's good to see you." Elena added. She was faking it.

"Jenna." John greeted our aunt.

"John, you made it." Jenna said unenthusiastically.

"I said I'd be in by noon." John remarked. It was closer to nine.

"Uncle John, what's up?" Jeremy responded upon seeing him. He was possibly the only member the family who liked him. He went outside to wait.

"I'm here for business and I'll be staying with my family." John explained.

"For how long?" I asked.

"We'll see." He answered.

"Well we have school. See you later Jenna." I remarked before Elena and I went out the door before we went to Elena's car. I had a new one, but carpooling was all the rage.

When we got to school, I decided to talk to Josh. Caroline was in Memphis, but Ashley who completely hated her dad's boyfriend refused to go.

"So, my uncle John is here." I told him.

"Well I should probably tell Meredith before he just shows up at her door." Josh replied. "You know she's dated a lot of assholes. I don't want to add Damon to that list."

"I don't think that's gonna continue." I responded. "So, are you still okay with everything between me and Stefan? You haven't said much to me lately."

"It's different. I trust Stefan. I don't trust his brother." Josh said.

"Well Damon is on good behavior now. I don't really trust him either, but he hasn't killed anyone recently." I remarked. I left out the house woman, because that was kind of necessary. "So how has Matt been?"

"I think he partially expected her to be dead." Josh admitted. "When you don't hear from someone for a while, that thought can come to mind."

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I stood in front of the stoner den. He was definitely thinking about Vicki. I don't know if it was fair for me to ask him not to.

"If you want, you can, but I can't." I told him. "Fumes wouldn't be good for the baby."

"I'm sorry that I haven't really been able to be there for you." He stated. "I wish you didn't have to tell your mom and Caroline alone."

"You have seven months to be there for me." I explained. "You need some time to grieve. I mean she was your first love."

"So how did your mom take it?" He asked.

"She was clearly disappointed, but she said that she would support whatever I want to do. Caroline was actually really excited about being an aunt." I told him.

"You know what I don't get. If she overdosed, someone would have had to bury her" He remarked.

"Jeremy, are you sure that you want to look for answers that you might not like?" I asked.

"I should talk to your mom about this." He replied.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." I told him as I pointed at my currently flat stomach.

Taylor's POV

After school, I was in Alaric's classroom.

"So, I made a copy of a paper wrote." He declared. Well this wasn't exactly family bonding. "I think it's something you should see."

It was about vampires.

"I don't know what to say." I remarked.

"He seemed hung up on the fiction." He told me.

"Well I kind of want to tell him this stuff, but Elena doesn't think that I should." I explained. "She says that it's more important we protect people. I don't like lying to him, Jenna, or Caroline. I can't even talk to my best friend about these things. Oh, and that pregnancy thing, you're not supposed to know that so don't say anything."

"Well I think Stefan is a good guy, but he's still a vampire." Alaric commented.

"I love him. I don't care if he was a zombie right now." I responded.

That night, Stefan was in my room. I couldn't even stand the sight of John enough to eat with him.

"So, Jeremy wrote a report on vampires. I mean it was good, but vampires?" I asked in confusion.

"You could ask him." Stefan suggested as he moved some hair away from my face. That felt pretty nice.

"I still haven't been able to tell him I'm adopted." I pointed out. "I really need to talk to Elena to see if I can convince to at least let me tell him and Ashley."

"You should start with that." Stefan opined. "You two deserve to be close again."

"How are you doing?" I asked as I touched his shoulder.

"I'm better." He said. "The cravings are decreasing and I have some jitters, but I'm fine."

"I've missed you." I told him. "Parts of my body have missed you."

Yeah, I was horny.

"I've missed you too." Stefan said before he kissed me and gently caressed my cheek. From there we started to undress each other and he had just removed my bra when I noticed veins under his eyes. He threw himself back, breaking something and I covered my boobs. Okay that killed the moment.

The next day, I called Damon over. Jeremy was eating breakfast.

"No, Taylor, I will not come to your bedroom with you." Damon replied. I rolled my eyes and dragged him upstairs. He decided to take a seat on my bed with my panda in his lap. I need to make sure to wash that. "So did you happen to know that your uncle is cozying up to the Founder's Council?"

"Well, that's one more problem I don't need." I muttered. "I just want you to be frank with me. What's wrong with Stefan?"

"What do you mean?" Damon questioned.

"Stefan is having some…issues." I stated. I wasn't going to tell him what we were doing. "How long will this take?"

"A few days." Damon declared.

"It's been a few days." I pointed out.

"What's the big deal?" He asked as he got up and handed me the panda.

"He's not himself.' I remarked.

"Well maybe if he spent more time being himself, this wouldn't happen." Damon suggested before I noticed him look through my underwear drawer.

"Do I have to put a sign that says don't touch?" I asked in frustration.

"The Stefan you know is the good Stefan. There's another Stefan that has drank human blood" Damon explained.

"Stefan is not you." I declared

"Just because he doesn't want to me doesn't mean he isn't." Damon responded.

After Damon left, I went to see Jeremy. I was going to tell him at least that I was adopted. I could try to tell him about the vampires too, but I don't if I will go through with it.

"You wanna get out of the house for a while?" I asked.

"Why?" He asked.

"So I have an excuse to be away from Uncle John for a while." I proposed.

We went out by the lakefront and I told him.

"I can't believe it." He admitted. "I can't believe Mom and Dad never told you."

"Yeah, finding out Elena and I aren't twins was hard. Well technically we were still born the same day, but we're not twins." I explained.

"Why would you wait so long to tell me?" He asked in confusion as we continued to walk.

"The three of us have always been so close." I explained. "To find out that we're not related is shocking."

"Are you upset?" He inquired.

"No, you're my brother and Elena is my sister: end of story." I replied.

"So, I've heard great things from Mr. Saltzman about your work." I responded.

"That has to be interesting to find out that your new teacher was married to your birth mother." Jeremy commented.

"Yeah." I agreed. "Anyway, he loved your vampire paper."

"He liked my angle." He explained.

"Any reason you picked that subject?" I asked curiously, hoping to dig.

"Ashley and I found this old journal." He answered. "You want to talk about her, don't you?"

"I think we need to." I stated. "Jeremy, you're going to have a kid. You have to tell me that you're ready for that. I can't have you ruining my friendship with her because you're not."

"Well I do think that I love her." Jeremy admitted. "I don't want this, but I think I can accept it."

That night at the Founder's Day Kickoff Party, I wore a dark green dress that stopped above my knees. I couldn't help but wonder if it showed too much, but honestly, I didn't care. Ashley was with us. She had on a sheer blue dress with long sleeves that covered a lot more than mine did. Her hair was also in a ponytail. She was gonna be one hot momma. Elena had gone with Matt and Kelly.

I found Stefan in the ballroom with a glass of…something in his hand.

"Hey." He slurred.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" I asked.

"It's fine. It helps with the cravings." Stefan told me.

"Good to know I have an alcoholic boyfriend." I joked as I noticed a smile on his face. "Should I be worried?"

"This is temporary. I promise." He vowed as he touched my shoulders. "Ms. Gilbert, would you like to dance?"

"This music is too sucky to dance to." I pointed out.

"That can be fixed." He stated as he went to talk to the DJ.

"Yeah, that's not gonna work. I already tried." Kelly replied as she walked up to me.

"Stefan can be very persuasive." I remarked as I watched him compel the guy. The music suddenly picked up. Kelly went over and he began to dance with her. Well I guess she deserved some fun.

"Is that fun Stefan?" Damon asked me.

"Are you sure he's okay?" I questioned.

"Probably." Damon answered.

Ashley's POV

I noticed that the music was starting to pick up. I couldn't help but tap my feet.

"Now this is my kind of music." I commented. "We should really dance to this."

"Are you sure that's okay?" Jeremy asked me.

"I think at this stage it is." I replied. "I don't have a doctor's appointment until tomorrow. Come on."

I took him to the floor with a smile.

Taylor's POV

"History teacher straight ahead." I told Jenna as Alaric walked over.

"Hello, Jenna, Taylor." He greeted us.

"I haven't seen you in a while.' Jenna remarked.

"Well things have been rough." Alaric answered. "Wanna get a drink?"

At that time, I saw Josh walk up to me.

"This is an interesting turn of events." He stated.

"I guess so." I agreed, not wanting to tell him about Stefan compelling the guy.

He suddenly grabbed me and began to dance with me. Okay, I guess this was fun.

Ashley's POV

"There's your mom." Jeremy remarked as we both noticed her in a dress for a change. "I'm going to go talk to her."

"Jeremy that's a bad idea." I reiterated.

"I need to know what happened to Vicki so I can have closure and move on." He explained before he broke off from me and went to talk to her.

Taylor's POV

Josh left to go the bathroom and suddenly Stefan was holding me. I have to admit this party was a lot more fun than I was expecting. He then spun me right into a guy.

"Watch it." The guy said.

"Sorry, I'm clumsy." I apologized.

"Then why don't you get off the dance floor." He replied. That got me fired up.

"Why don't you get off of it, douchebag?" Some of us actually have partners." I challenged. Stefan then stepped in and compelled the guy to apologize. I guess that was better than me wailing on him, but this was a problem.

I walked over to Damon, who was at the bar.

"So your brother is drunk and compelling people." I noted.

"Good for him." Damon stated. "Your brother is digging for information about Vicki Donovan."

"He knows it was an overdose." I replied.

"Yeah, but he's the only one not to write it off as that." Damon responded. "You get him to stop digging before he strikes a gas line."

"I'll deal with it." I promised before he handed me a rose.

I found Jeremy and Ashley sitting by the fireplace.

"Get tired of dancing?" I asked.

"Jeremy's kind of hung up on Vicki's death." Ashley explained. I then took a seat.

"No one is trying to figure out what happened." Jeremy stated.

"That's what the coroner said." I remarked. I hoped that I wouldn't blurt anything out.

"Is that what you believe?" He asked. Damn it. Ashley looked upset. "I think someone killed her and then buried her."

"I don't think anyone can prove that." I remarked. "Whatever happened, she's not coming back. You have a very beautiful girlfriend and a baby on the way."

"Whatever happened? Is there something that you're not telling me?" He asked.

"No, it was an overdose." I responded nervously. "I need to find Stefan,"

Ashley's POV

Taylor made a quick exit. That was weird.

"I think there's something that she's not telling." Jeremy replied. "I need a favor from you."

Taylor's POV

Something crazy happened. Tyler and Kelly were making out and a fight broke out between him and Matt. Well I guess that wasn't that weird, but Elena was tending to her boyfriend. Why does everything always go wrong at parties?

The mayor then began the commemoration of the event. John rang the old bell. This was a pretty boring ceremony and I had no idea where Stefan went. I should try to find him.

Ashley's POV

The two of us went into the Gilbert house.

"We shouldn't be doing this." I stated as we went up to Taylor's room./

"I need to know what she's hiding and she won't tell me." Jeremy declared as we entered her room. "So do you know where she keeps her diary?"

"It's under her pillow." I answered. "Don't tell her I was here."

He grabbed the book began to read it aloud. It was one big testament to vampires. He turned to a page marked Halloween.

"I feel so bad about what happened with Vicki. I didn't want Jeremy to know she was a vampire. I wish Stefan didn't have to kill her." He read. "Jeremy looked like he was going to lose it. I had to have Damon erase his memory of what happened."

"What?" I asked in shock. I needed to see that myself.

"It also says that there was more to what happened with Damon and Caroline." He added. "It's worse than we thought."

I remembered going to the boarding house and having to run from Damon, but I didn't think he was a vampire.

Taylor's POV

I went out looking Stefan in the parking lot. I found a man lying down. It was the douchebag from the dancefloor. He looked injured. I should be glad about that, but I think now isn't the time for that. I had a strange feeling that Stefan was behind it. He was nowhere to be found, though.

Ashley's POV

I went home before they got back. I didn't know how to feel. I was upset that Taylor didn't tell me about this stuff.

Taylor's POV

I went home with Jenna and Elena.

"I'm not so thrilled about another month of these events." Jenna remarked.

"Especially if John is going to be here for the whole." I added.

I went to check on Jeremy and he seemed to be fine. I then went into my room and saw Stefan in the mirror.

"Where did you go at the party?" I asked him. "I was looking for you."

"I'm sorry.' He apologized.

"Are you okay?" I questioned.

He seemed to be having a hard time keeping it together. He said that he tasted some of Kelly's blood. He didn't bite her, but...

"And that douchebag, I wanted to feed on him." He added. "I didn't, but I wanted to. I'm feeling out of control right now. I don't want you to see my like this."

"We all have our problems, Stefan. I'm not holding any of this against you." I explained. "I'm going to help make you better. You will be better. Trust me. I know."

"I have to go. I don't want to hurt you." He stated.

"I know you'll never hurt me." I responded before I gave him a kiss.

"I love you so much." He told me.

"I love you, too." I reciprocated.

So, Ashley and Jeremy both found out about the secrets. Taylor forgot to put in the part where she asked permission to erase his memories. Please don't forget to review.


	20. Miss Mystic Falls

Taylor's POV

I stood in the parking lot as I noticed Stefan's car drive up. His little red buggy was pretty flashy.

"So you're driving to school now?" I asked as he took off his sunglasses.

"It was too nice to sit in the garage." He replied. He seemed to be in a good mood which was good. He then gave me a peck on the lips. I would prefer more than a peck, but the school had rules against public displays of affection.

'I'm glad that you're back." I stated. This was good. I had a feeling it would be a good day.

"I woke up and decided that I couldn't think of anything better than spending the day with beautiful girlfriend." He replied. I felt like I could melt.

"So the blood?" I asked after a moment of swooning.

"I'm better." He told me before he kissed me again. Maybe we could skip first period. No wait that was Alaric's class. "I have to get my bag. I'll meet you in class."

Ashley's POV

After reading Taylor's diary, I don't know how I should feel. I feel bad for invading her privacy. I feel upset that she didn't tell me anything about the vampires. I feel angry that she erased Jeremy's memory and I also feel woozy. How much longer does morning sickness last?

Taylor's POV

In class, we were learning about some local history. The Founder's committee wanted us to, despite the fact that Mr. Tanner had covered it before his death.

"Apparently the community leaders feel that is more important than World War II." Alaric said sardonically.

Ashley's POV

Caroline came up to me after school.

"I just got some exciting news." She squealed. "I am following the Founder's Committee on Twitter and we are both in the running for Miss Mystic Falls."

"But…" I tried to interrupt.

"Hardly anyone knows that you're pregnant and you're not showing. One of us needs to win this. Just because mom couldn't doesn't mean that the Forbes tradition of winning needs to be broken. Hey, there's Taylor. We should go tell her the good news."

Before I could say anything, Caroline was dragging me over. I sighed.

"So, Taylor did you hear the news?" My sister asked.

"What news?" Taylor questioned.

"The Founder's Court was announced today." Caroline explained. "All three of us are on it. The only way this could be better is if Elena was as well, but they went and gave a spot to Amber Bradley."

I looked at Taylor, but didn't say anything to her. I didn't know what to say.

"Why are you two not happy dancing?" Caroline questioned.

"I forgot all about that." Taylor admitted. "I still want to be in it, but I've just been focused on so many others things that I didn't expect it."

Yeah, other things like keeping secrets from your best friend. I don't know if I should confront her about it. Maybe she had a good reason for not telling me. Maybe I should talk to her.

"Taylor, can we talk?" I requested.

"Sure." She declared. "I'll drive you home."

We went to her car.

"So, are things between you and Jeremy still good?" She asked.

"How could you not tell me?" I inquired.

"Excuse me?" She responded.

"The vampires: you knew about them for a while and you didn't tell me. I thought I was your best friend." I remarked.

"I can explain." She replied. "I wanted to tell you. I really wanted to tell you, but Elena convinced me not to. She wanted to protect people."

"I'm your best friend. I can keep a secret." I reiterated.

"I know and I'm sorry." She told me. I guess I didn't want to bring up the Jeremy thing right now. I believed her when she said that she was.

Taylor's POV

After I got home, I decided to call Stefan.

"So Ashley knows now." I explained. "I don't know how she found out, but she said that she'll keep it a secret."

"You need to find what all she knows." Stefan suggested.

"There's also something else." I added. "I'm on the Founder's Court for Miss Mystic Falls."

"I'd be happy to escort you." He told me.

"You know I don't know why they picked me honestly, I'm not exactly pageant material." I admitted. "I definitely don't have much talent."

"I guess you're lucky there isn't a talent portion." He stated. I giggled.

"My mom actually won when she was my age." I said. "I kind of wish I could follow in her footsteps."

"I think it'll be fun." He declared.

"I'll see you tomorrow. I love you." I responded.

"I love you too." He reciprocated before he hung up. Now I have to get a dress to wear. I still don't know why they chose me over Elena.

My sister and I went to the dress shop. I began to look around for something I liked.

"So, I don't know how, but Ashley found out and she was kind of pissed at me." I remarked as I went through the racks. "I really want to tell Jeremy so he's not pissed too."

"It's not safe for him to know." Elena argued.

"Well maybe if he had known, he wouldn't have invited that guy into the house." I proposed as I grabbed a royal blue gown. It was pricey, but I think it would good on me. "We don't exactly need to tell the world, Jeremy is our brother and he deserves to know. I won't tell him about how I erased his memory."

"Let's wait until after the pageant." Elena proposed. I sighed. I guess I could do that.

"I really wish that Uncle John wasn't staying with us." I declared.

"Well we can't exactly kick him out." Elena remarked. I so wish we could.

The next day was the interviews process. Mrs. Lockwood and two other women were on the board.

"This year's queen will have the special honor of representing the town at the 150th anniversary celebration." Mrs. Lockwood told her. "Before we crown our winner, we'd like to get to know a bit more about each of you."

"I know that I may not be the most involved in the community." I replied. "Some may not say that I'm pageant material at all. I guess what I'm saying that while I may not be the perfect choice, I would be able to carry on the legacy of Miss Mystic because it's what my mom wanted for me and it's what I want as well."

Ashley's POV

"Well for starters, it's an honor to be nominated. I understand that no one my age has ever made the court. I may not be a ringleader like my sister, but I volunteer just as much as her." I told them. I hope they wouldn't find out that I was pregnant. I also hoped that I wouldn't get sick during the pageant.

After that was over, we were in the school cafeteria to practice the dance. Jeremy was there, but he wasn't making eye contact with Taylor. Maybe I could talk to him to see if I that would make things better.

Taylor's POV

Stefan and I were doing what was possibly the stupidest dance ever. Okay, the "Single Ladies" dance was stupider, but it's possibly the stupidest two person dance ever. We weren't even touching.

"This is dumb." I whispered.

"You only think that because you don't get it." He stated.

"I'm sorry I'm not a dinosaur like you." I apologized sarcastically.

"Ouch." He responded, feigning being shot before he grabbed me and dipped me.

"There's no touching during this part." The mayor's wife scolded us.

"If you ask me, the near touch is overrated." He stated after she left.

"You're in a good mood. I like it." I replied. "So do you think we can finish what we started the other day?"

"I don't know." He replied. "I thought the queens were supposed to be pure."

"I can guarantee none of these girls are." I replied.

Ashley's POV

During the break, Caroline decided she needed to gab some and I was drafted into listening.

"Tina Fell has no shot and Amber Bradley was only chosen to quill the notion of exclusivity, which is completely true." She told me. "That leaves Taylor as our biggest competition here. She'll get a ton of sympathy votes."

"Caroline…" I remarked.

"One of us needs to win, preferably me." She explained. "It is our duty to succeed where our mom failed. We deserve this."

Taylor's POV

The day of the pageant, I heard a knock at the door. There was Alaric, dressed in a suit.

"I heard you were the chauffeur." I remarked. "You're missing the hat."

"Couldn't find one." He quipped before he grabbed my dress bag. "Let me get that for you."

"Thanks." I told him.

"How's Stefan?" He asked. I'm guessing he didn't want to know in bed. I'm glad I didn't say that one aloud.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"He seems like he's on edge." Alaric explained. "He nearly attacked me."

"He's getting back to normal." I declared.

"Alaric, hey buddy, what are you doing here?" John asked as he appeared.

"I'm the chauffer." The teacher and stepfather repeated.

"I thought I was driving." John stated.

"Nope, no one can stand being in a car with you." Jenna replied as she came down the stairs. "You can take Jeremy if you want."

Ashley's POV

Caroline and I arrived at the pageant. I had chosen a shiny black dress. I decided I was gonna wear my hair au natural: no extensions. It only went to my shoulder. I then realized that I wouldn't have time to talk to Jeremy until after the pageant. I did notice Anna.

"Anna." I called to her.

"Ashley…" She declared. "I heard you were in the pageant."

"Yes, and you're coming to help me get ready." I stated as I began to pull her up the stairs.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Anna remarked.

"Well you owe me for trying to make a meal out of my boyfriend." I whispered. She gulped.

Taylor's POV

Jenna was helping me get ready. I had decided to wear my hair up. I was kind of nice this way. Jenna was not an expert though.

"I remember when my mom and Elena and I applied for this." I declared.

"Well she'd be much better at this than I would." Jenna joked.

"I really wish she was here." I admitted. "I'm gonna go get dressed."

Ashley's POV

Anna and I were in the dressing room.

"How do you know?" Anna asked.

"I don't want to reveal that information." I replied. "I think you need to apologize to him."

"How much do you know? Can you tell me that?" She inquired.

"I know everything and so does Jeremy." I explained.

"Then why are you talking to me?" She responded.

"Because I don't think you're an evil person. I understand your reason that you would do anything to get your mom back." I explained as I finished putting my dress on. I think I was the first one. "Now can please go down and apologize to Jeremy?"

Taylor's POV

When I made it to one of the dressing rooms, I found Amber. She looked like she was freaking out.

"You okay?" I asked.

"I can't do this." Amber remarked. "I'm having a panic attack."

"Do you need to be alone?" I questioned.

"No, I need some air." Amber declared as she left the room.

Suddenly, I noticed Damon. He must have come in through the window.

"This room is girls-only." I told him.

"Stefan is drinking human blood." He said bluntly. "He robbed the hospital?"

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, this is not good right now, especially with your uncle." He explained.

"He's been edgy, but he said that that was normal." I remarked.

"He's an addict. He'll say anything to keep doing it." Damon told me. "He should have been trying to control it instead of fighting it."

Stefan came into the room and he denied drinking the blood. Damon left and we didn't have much time to talk before Mrs. Lockwood shooed him out. I had to hurry up and get dressed.

I headed out to the lineup. No one seemed to be able to find Amber. I knew I would be called last, which was strange because usually G isn't the last letter. I looked over the railing as Tina Fell was called to see if I could find Stefan.

"Do either of you see Stefan?" I asked Caroline and Ashley.

"Nope." Caroline replied. "Just my fill-in escort and your brother."

Josh was inconveniently getting his appendix out.

"Miss Ashley Forbes, and her escort Jeremy Gilbert." The mayor replied.

"Wish me luck." Ashley stated as she went downstairs. Caroline was next and also went down.

"Miss Taylor Gilbert, and her escort Stefan Salvatore." Mayor Lockwood said. I took a deep breath before I went downstairs. At the bottom, the stairs I found…Damon? Why was he here and where was Stefan?

"Where's Stefan?" I whispered.

"I don't know." Damon whispered back. I felt kind of bad for the other guy because it didn't seem like Amber was coming. I took his hand and we went outside. This was uncomfortable.

"What are we gonna do?" I whispered again.

"We'll try to get through this." He explained.

We began to dance, which was strangely set to some obscure alternative song. We started with the one that we learned which Damon conveniently knew and then we went into a waltz. You know for a pageant this really didn't have much pageantry. I wasn't sure how they picked the winner.

Ashley's POV

We all went back inside after the dance and the mayor was going to announce the winner. I don't know what happened to Stefan, but I didn't like the fact that Taylor was dancing with Damon. I guess it was better than no one. Amber was still missing. I hoped that she wasn't attacked by a vampire. I don't think Stefan would attack her.

The mayor came with the envelope with the winner's name on it. I don't know how the votes were calculated. Did everyone on the council cast their votes? I hope I win.

""Before I crown a winner, I'd like to thank all of these young ladies for our efforts to better our community." He stated as he started a round of applause. "Now without further ado, it my honor to announce our own Miss Mystic Falls, Miss Ashley Forbes!"

I couldn't believe it. I won. I was not only the youngest contestant ever, but the youngest winner. Caroline and Elena both gave me hugs. I hoped everything wouldn't be revoked when they find out I am pregnant.

Taylor's POV

Damon took me outside and we found Damon feeding from Amber. That was what I was afraid of. Bonnie managed to do a spell to subdue him, but he got away. The story was that Bonnie and I found Amber, and Damon found us. We didn't see anything. Amber was okay. She didn't even need any blood.

As soon as I walked back in, Ashley grabbed me and pulled into the bathroom.

"What happened?" She questioned.

"We found Stefan feeding from Amber." I explained as I began to cry. "I wanted to tell you this, Ashley. I really did. Stefan has a huge problem and I don't know what to do."

She gave me a hug.

"It's going to be okay." She responded.

Alaric took me to the boarding house. I needed to try to talk to Stefan. I needed to make him better. This was my fault and I kept making it worse by not helping him sooner.

"You shouldn't be here." He told me.

"I'm not leaving." I told him. "I know you're not going to hurt me. Stefan, you're not this person."

"I'm a monster." He responded. "I am a predator. I am a killer."

"No, you're not. You're good. You're a good person." I explained. "I love you."

"How can you love me like this?" He asked. "I wanted to kill that girl, drink every last drop of her blood."

"This isn't going to work." I told him. "There's nothing you can confess that will make me love you less."

"The Pretenders, really?" He asked.

"It's true Stefan. I'll stand by you." I remarked.

He then pushed me against the wall and began to cry. I knew I had to make my move. I took the needle and I Damon and I locked him in the cellar. I hoped that this wouldn't take too long, but I would wait as long as it took.

So, not much Ashley and Jeremy in this chapter. I wanted to give her scenes with other characters. Also she won, but will she keep the title? And Taylor is in for a hell of a ride. Please don't forget to review.


	21. Blood Brothers

Taylor's POV

I looked over Stefan as he lied nearly catatonic. He wasn't answering me. It had been a few days. After a few minutes, Damon and I left the cell. I was hoping that it wasn't hopeless. I looked in one last time before I walked in.

The next time that I went there, he seemed to be sleeping or at least trying to. I don't know if he wanted to see me.

"I don't know what to feel right now." I told Damon as I leaned against the bars. I don't know why.

"You put him in there." Damon pointed out.

"You helped." I countered.

"Well yeah, I can't have him feeding from people now." Damon declared.

"Of course I would never confuse you for someone who cares." I quipped.

"I will leave the caring to you." He stated.

I began to prepare for school. I guess whatever problems Stefan had would still be here when I got back. I looked over to Damon who had received…something from Pearl.

"What is that?" I asked.

"I don't know, but it doesn't work." He answered. I folded some clothes. I had an idea for the next time that I came over. "You know you're not-great grandfather was a crazy inventor. Have you spoken to your uncle lately?"

"I've tried to avoid talking to him at all costs." I explained. "I've also slept over the last few nights."

Which I might add was kind of sexually frustrating.

"Will you be here again tonight?" He asked.

"Yes." I declared. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, I was just checking." He replied. "But you are a nuisance."

"I guess it takes one to know one." I rebutted.

Ashley's POV

I met Jeremy in the parking lot at school. I was grateful that my mom was still okay with me seeing him. I was in a lacy black dress and knee socks. Suddenly there was a pair of hands over my eyes.

"Guess who." Anna asked.

"Alice Cullen?" I guessed as she removed her hands and frowned. "That's a compliment."

"What are you doing here?" Jeremy asked.

"I was picking up this." Anna stated as she showed off a piece of paper.

"Does that mean what I think it does?" I asked in excitement.

"Yup, as of tomorrow, I am a student here." She remarked.

"That's great." I replied, giving her a hug. "You know you should try to make some friends."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Anna responded.

"Why would you want to go to high school?" Jeremy asked.

"It's a great place to see the two of you and maybe I could meet a boy." She replied before she walked away.

Taylor's POV

I was walking through the courtyard looking for Ashley when I crashed into someone. I need to learn to be more graceful.

"I'm sorry." I replied as I noticed just who it was. It was Anna. "What are you doing here?"

"I was picking up my schedule." Anna replied nervously.

"Look, can we just put the whole kidnapping thing behind us?" I requested. "I've mostly forgiven Damon for killing people, and I think it wouldn't be fair to hold anything against you."

"I would like that." Anna declared.

"You know I was wondering if I could ask for your help with something." I stated. "It's about Stefan."

"What about him?" She questioned.

"Well can you tell me what he used to be like?" I requested.

"Well, in the 20s, he killed a lot of people. His nickname was The Ripper of Monterey." She explained. "Is something wrong with him?"

"Yeah, I just don't know what." I answered. "I'm really worried about him."

"Well I don't know if I can help, but I'll come over with you." She offered.

"Sure, give me your number I'll text you when I want you to come over." I accepted.

After school, I called Damon to let him know I was coming over. I had to get some things from home first.

"What?" He answered.

"I'm getting some things, but I'll be right there." I promised. "How is he?"

"Good, because I have something I need to do tonight." He responded. "Stefan won't eat, not even bunnies."

"Do he have a favorite kind?" I asked.

"Yes, bald eagle, good luck finding that." Damon joked.

"Would it kill you to be serious?" I questioned.

"Maybe." He answered. I just hung up and noticed that I was face-to-face with John.

"Hey." He greeted,

"I didn't see you there." I stated. I definitely didn't want to see him.

"I wanted to talk. We haven't had a chance to catch up." He pointed out.

"That would imply that I wanted to." I declared. I sighed knowing he would not just go away.

"I don't think you should be dating Stefan." He stated.

"Well I don't give a damn what you think." I told him. "You're not my father and you don't get to decide who I date."

"What do you think he would think when he found out that your boyfriend was stealing from his place of work?" John asked me.

"Fuck off, John." I remarked as I headed out the door.

I headed to the boarding house and there was Stefan. There was a bottle full of blood in front of him. He once again seemed like he was completely catatonic.

"You need to drink that Stefan." I told him. He only shook his head. "It's not an option. You can't live without it."

"I don't wanna live." He told me.

"What?" I questioned in shock. "No, you don't get to give up. You don't get to say that."

"It's my life, Taylor, and I want it to end." He responded. "I've done too much to go on."

I headed back out into the living room where Damon was getting ready to go somewhere. I heard the bell ring and decided to answer it.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked Anna upon seeing her. "Did your mom find out what the doohickey does?"

"Actually, I asked her to come over." I remarked.

"She kidnapped you and fed your blood to her mom." Damon pointed out.

"Well you're kind of directly responsible for Vicki's death." I told him. "I needed another vampire's opinion on this."

"What are you wearing?" Anna asked in surprise. I was wearing a tied blue t-shirt that showed off my bellybutton and white shorts.

"I'm trying to get Stefan to feel something other than anguish." I explained. "Lust was one of the things I was going for."

"Well you two kids play nice." Damon remarked. "I know Charles Manson if you're interested.'

Damon went out the door.

"So, what is Stefan like in bed?" She asked. I glared at her. "Okay, I don't know what you wanted me to do. I'm not very good at small talk."

"Well do you know what he's going through is like?" I asked. "Has there ever been a time where you felt like life wasn't worth living?"

"When my mom was taken by Jonathan." Anna answered. "Even though Emily promised that she would save her, I still didn't know if I could believe her."

"How did you come back from it?" I inquired.

"Noah convinced me that we needed to find a way to open the tomb." Anna explained. So that was that guy's name. "My life had a purpose again, even if I would have to wait a long time to get it."

"So, you're suggesting that I need to find a way to give Stefan a purpose?" I asked.

"It would help." She agreed.

Ashley's POV

I looked at my belly and noticed that I was starting to gain weight. It was probably only a few pounds at this point, so it wasn't that noticeable. I was in Jeremy's room.

"So have you told your dad yet?' He asked.

"No, and I feel that if he's not going to come back here, he doesn't deserve to know." I opined. "Have you told Jenna yet?"

"I will soon." Jeremy promised.

"So you know we can still have sex." I declared. "I can't get pregnant while I'm already pregnant."

"I don't know if I feel comfortable with that." He admitted.

"Well what about oral?" I asked. I noticed him grin.

At that point, we began to take off our clothes. Although I didn't need to, it still felt more intimate. I got underneath his covers and engulfed his organ with my mouth.

"Do you guys want anything?" Elena asked as she opened the door. She probably noticed the human-shaped lump and the fact that Jeremy shirtless. "Oh my god, I'm sorry."

She walked out immediately. I couldn't keep going after that. My removed my head from…his and blushed extremely.

Taylor's POV

I went back downstairs while Anna stayed up. I didn't think Stefan would hurt me and I had to get through to him. I was just about ready to feed him the animal blood myself.

"You know I could really hurt you." He declared.

"You would never hurt me, Stefan." I told him.

"Leave me alone, Taylor." He requested. "I don't want you here."

"It's not going to work." I stated. "You can't push me away."

I decided to take it a step further. I entered the cell and picked up the bottle.

"Get out." He threatened.

"No. If you're going to kill me, then kill me." I told him. "Or you could take one look at this outfit I wore for you. Drink this. I will not let you give up."

"Get out." He repeated.

"Drinking the freaking blood." I ordered.

He got up and pushed the bottle away. He then showed his vampire face to me. Well I got him to feel anger. I don't know if that's good or bad.

"Get out!" He screamed.

"No." I said. I saw him return to normal in front of me and he took a seat.

I took a seat next to him.

"Tell me why it hurts so much." I remarked. I am not a psychiatrist.

"I'm making the choice I should have made years ago." He told me. What did that mean?

"I don't understand." I responded.

"I didn't want to complete the transition." He stated. He then proceeded to tell me how he killed his father. "How can you look at me?"

"That was the past, Stefan. You didn't mean it." I explained.'

"I did mean to kill some of the others." He pointed out.

"I don't care about your past." I admitted. "Come upstairs with me. You can get everything out. We can talk all night if you want to."

"You're so sure I'll be better." He noted. I was sure. I know that he will be better.

"I know you will be." I promised as I pulled his ring out of my pocket. "And when you're ready, you can put this.

I went upstairs to find Anna had left. She left me a note saying that she was going home. Well, I guess the house was kind of depressing. I decided to do some homework while I waited for Stefan.

"You're still here?" Damon asked as he entered.

"You act like you weren't expecting me to be." I declared.

"It was more of a statement than a question." He remarked as he took a seat next to me.

"How did your thing go?" I asked.

"Futile. Although, I think I witness your stepdad having an existential crisis." Damon answered. "Has Stefan eaten?"

"Didn't you say that you didn't care?" I questioned.

"I'm just curious." He replied.

"He seems to be get closer." I explained. "We had a bit of a breakthrough tonight. He has a lot of guilt. You haven't exactly helped with that."

"Let me ask you, did you happen to get the fact that he literally forced me to turn out?" He asked.

"No, that is not something that he would do." I argued.

"I was ready to die and he had killed our father. He kept going on about how great he felt and fed some girl into me. He said that he didn't want to be alone." The vampire explained. "Stefan was different from the start. I guess I should thank for what he did."

"He said he wanted to die." I remarked. "He's feeling the pain of everyone you killed as well."

"If he wants to die, I say let him." Damon opined.

"Don't do that." I ordered. "Don't pretend that you don't love him just as much as I do."

I went downstairs only to find that Stefan was gone. He left his ring behind.

"DAMON!" I yelled as I ran upstairs.

"What?" Damon asked. "You don't have to yell."

"He's gone." I replied. "He's gone and he left his ring behind."

"That's not good." Damon commented.

"I know that it's not good!" I yelled in frustration. "Do you have any idea where we can find him? He said he wanted to go back to where it all began. What does that mean?"

"I think I have an idea. You're going to want a coat." Damon replied as he grabbed my arm.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Just come on." He stated as he pulled me with him.

He took me to the quarry where he and Stefan had woken up in their transition.

"Stefan." I called to him. That had gotten him to look at me. "Damon told me how you forced him to transition. He also brought me here."

"I should have died that night." He replied. "We both should have died like we decided we were going to do."

"Dying now won't change anything." I pointed out. "You can look back and feel bad about what you've done, or you can move on."

"The blood everyone that both of us have killed is on my hands." He stated. I went over to him and slapped him.

"Snap out of it!" I told him. "You want to what would happen if you had died? Sure, a bunch of other people wouldn't have died so soon, but I'm betting the bridge still collapses. Without you there to save me, I would have drowned Stefan. I could say it was my fault that my parents died, but it wasn't. Someone was probably going to die when that bridge gave out. I can't feel guilt for that and you shouldn't feel guilt for what you or Damon did."

"You don't understand." He remarked/

"You are a good person, Stefan." I said. "You've made some mistakes, but everyone does. You've reformed. You're good. Stefan, I'll make you a deal. If you can honestly tell me that you don't love me, I will leave and allow you to die."

"Love is not enough here, Taylor." He replied.

"Yes it is." I pointed out as I took his ring out of my coat pocket. "Please take this ring and come back with me."

I watched him put the ring on his finger and then I kissed his lips. I took him back to the boarding house. I decided to let him talk to Damon. I think I would sleep well tonight.

So, Anna and Elena never interacted apart from that one episode. I want her to have more friends than just Ashley and Jeremy. She will find her guy at the school. I wonder if you have any guesses on who it'll be. Also, I found a good use for Elena in this chapter. Please don't forget to review.


	22. Isobel

Taylor's POV

I was trying to get ready to go out the door. I was on the phone with Stefan. I wore a black dress with a grey cami underneath because I didn't feel like showing off cleavage today. It was going to be a rare warm day in February with a high of 68.

"I'm bidding the Miss Mystic float for the Founder's Day parade." I told Damon. That involved working with Ashley, who was still mad at me. "Caroline will kill me if I don't. I wanted to see if he was okay first. So is he okay?"

"I'm okay but he's terrible." Damon answered. "You made him all broody and boring again."

"I believe you were in favor of it." I pointed out.

"And I hate myself for it." He declared.

"Well now we have something in common." I quipped.

"Did John mention my field trip with the history teacher?" He asked.

"I haven't talked to him." I responded.

"Well try to find out." He instructed before I hung up.

From there, Elena and I went to the school.

"So Ashley is upset that you didn't tell her?" My sister asked as we arrived in the parking lot.

"Yeah, I wish I could have told her when I told you and Bonnie, but she left before I had the chance and the right opportunity just never came up." I explained.

I met up with Stefan and as soon as I entered the cafeteria, Alaric took the three of us away.

Ashley's POV

I was sitting at a table with Bonnie and Caroline.

"Let's look at last year's Miss Mystic float." Caroline replied as she took out her laptop. "Here is the perfect example of a float that has no creativity or thought put into it whatsoever. So Your Highness, do you have any ideas?"

"Um…no." I responded. Creativity wasn't my strong point. I probably couldn't come up with something much better than that.

"Well lucky for sister, your big sister is prepared." She explained.

"What are we doing?" Bonnie asked.

"Southern elegance: I'm thinking hoop skirts. Let's flashback to 1860." Caroline explained.

"_Gone with the Wind?" _I guessed.

"How did you know?" Caroline asked.

"You only watch it four times a year." I pointed out.

"So where's Taylor?" Caroline questioned.

"I don't know." I remarked. I don't even know if I was still mad at her. It was just hard.

"I hate how everyone is fighting." Caroline replied. "You and Taylor, Matt and Tyler."

"It's not something that I can talk about." I said.

"Is she upset that you had sex with her brother?" Caroline asked. I blushed.

"You know I'm all for _Gone with the Wind." _I stated trying to change the subject.

Taylor's POV

Damon was the last one to arrive in Alaric's classroom.

"So what is with this meeting?" Damon asked.

"Isobel's back." Alaric responded.

"Here?" Damon asked. The teacher nodded.

"Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are there working together?" Damon questioned

"No." Alaric answered.

"No, they're not?" Damon responded.

"No, I didn't ask." The teacher clarified.

"What about the invention?" Damon questioned.

"Didn't ask."

"Does she know about the tomb vampires?"

"I don't know."

"Did words completely escape you?" Damon questioned.

"I'm sorry. I was too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions." My stepfather declared.

"What does she want?" Damon inquired.

"She wants to see me." I responded.

"Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting." Elena added.

"We don't know what she wants." Stefan stated.

"Hey, you don't have to see if you don't want to." Damon told me.

"I don't have a choice." I told him.

"She's threatened to go on a killing spree." Alaric explained.

"I'm guessing none of you want that." Damon remarked.

"I want to meet her." I admitted. "I need to know her. I at least want to know why she gave me up."

So, essentially, I got out of float design with Ashley to meet up with Isobel at the Grill. I waited at a table while Stefan stood watch.

"I'm gonna be okay." I said in a low voice. I could see him making facial expressions. My boyfriend was temporarily a mime. At least I didn't feel compelled to punch him. Mimes fill me with inexplicable rage.

Suddenly, a woman in black with black hair took a seat in front of me.

"Hello, Taylor." She greeted me. "You look just like her."

"I thought Veronica had brown hair." I responded.

"She must have dyed it recently." Isobel stated. "Before you ask, she's the one who found me. I guess it was genetic curiosity. She would be fascinated by you."

"Let's start with why you abandoned me." I said.

"I didn't want to be a mother then. I thought about you, but I wanted a life." She explained. So, she was selfish.

"Who is my father?" I demanded.

"It's not important." She responded. "Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions?"

"Why did you compel that man to kill Trudie and then himself?" I asked. I read about her death in the state paper. "She was your best friend."

"She knew too much." Isobel declared. "I wish you would have stopped looking."

"I did stop looking." I pointed out. "You're the one who came to me, remember. Maybe you should have told your husband to stop looking. So what do you want?"

"I was getting to that." She said.

"You're such a bitch." I declared. "I know that you can feel things."

"Like your boyfriend over there? Stefan Salvatore: why Stefan? Why not Damon?" She asked. "Or do you enjoy them both like she did?"

"I'm not some whore." I told her. I would never have sex with Damon. Never.

Ashley's POV

So, Elena eventually showed up, but Taylor was a no-show. I hope it wasn't my fault. As I ate my chips, I decided that I should try to patch things up with her. I wish I had some real food.

"So is Taylor not here because of me?" I asked Elena.

"Actually she had something else that she needed to do." Elena replied. I needed more than that, but she didn't look like she was going to tell me.

Taylor's POV

I'm sensing that you're not here to catch up." I commented.

"I want what your uncle wants." Isobel explained. "Give me the invention."

"How do you know my uncle?" I asked.

"I spent a lot of time here as a teenager." Isobel told me. "He was so into me. He told me about the vampires."

"I don't have what you want." I declared as I tried to get up.

"Sit down!" She ordered. "Tell your boyfriend to get out of here."

"Get the invention or there will be a lot of blood on your hands." Isobel threatened. She then left in a hurry. I noticed Elena and Bonnie come in as she was leaving. I wasn't going to cry. I hadn't been expecting much. She was still below them. I guess it made me miss my mom.

Ashley's POV

I decided to call Anna. It had been a while since I'd seen her. Jeremy had told me she wasn't answering his calls.

"Anna, it's Ashley." I said at the start of the voicemail. "Jeremy and I have been trying to talk to you. I hope you call me back."

I then hung up.

"So who is this girl?" Caroline asked. I then realized that she and Anna had never met.

"She's a friend of mine." I explained. "I don't know if you'd like her. She's a lot like me."

Except she's a vampire, and not pregnant.

Taylor's POV

The next day, I was preparing for the float building. I couldn't help but notice that Bonnie was at my door.

"Is there anything that you need from me?" She asked. "Elena told me you met with your birth mother."

"Bonnie, you don't have to feel bad for me." I declared. "I mean you would probably take my bitchy mother over not having one."

Ashley's POV

I was currently hanging out with Josh and Caroline. Caroline had managed to convince him to help with our float. We needed some muscle and I couldn't do any lifting. I was busy chowing on a chili dog. I was wearing another black dress: I have a lot of them, and black stockings.

"I guess it is true." Josh declared. I didn't know what he meant. "Pregnant girls do eat all of the time."

Caroline then went off to try to diffuse the situation between Matt and Tyler.

"So do you think that I should make up with Taylor?" I asked.

"What are you fighting about?" He questioned.

"I'm upset that she didn't tell me about vampires." I explained. "I know that you know. Jeremy and I read her diary."

"Don't you think that's kind of an unfair way to get that information?" Josh questioned. "I mean that sounds like something parents would do."

"But do you think that she had the right to keep it from me?" I asked.

"Maybe, I mean not all vampires are exactly friendly." Josh pointed out.

Taylor's POV

Bonnie called Elena and I into one of the science classrooms. I feel like I've never been here before. She had the grimoire on the lab table.

"Is that Emily's spell book?" Elena asked, not having ever actually seen it.

"It says that Jonathan Gilbert never invented anything." Bonnie explained. "Emily was spelling them."

I think that was kind of a bitch move, going behind Veronica's back like that.

"This is the mystery device." Bonnie declared. "Are you sure Isobel wants this? It's a weapon against vampires."

I went outside as I began to wonder if I should work on the float.

"Taylor!" Jeremy called for me.

"Have you seen Stefan?" I asked my brother.

"No, but have you seen Anna?" He responded.

"Not for a few days." I stated.

"Ashley and I have been trying to contact her for the past few days and she hasn't answered." Jeremy explained. "I'm really worried about her."

"Jeremy, I don't know anything." I told him. I actually did hope she was okay.

"Are you lying?" He asked. "If I read your diary, will I find out about her being killed like Vicki was?"

"What?" I asked. "You read my diary?"

"I wasn't going to get any information out of you otherwise." He stated. "So tell me if you know where she is."

"Jeremy, I don't know where she is. I hung out with her a few days ago, but I promise I don't know where she is." I explained.

He didn't seem satisfied with that answer. I told him the truth. What else could I do? He does know that I asked his permission to erase his memories, doesn't he? I think I wrote that part down.

I then noticed Ashley.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Before I could respond, Isobel appeared in front of me. I decided that instead of telling Ashley to run, I was going to hold onto her tightly.

"Hello, Taylor and you must be Ashley, the best friend." Isobel responded.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Isobel.

"I'm your mother. I think it's time I get involved in your life." Isobel stated. Ashley looked shocked by that. She did not say anything though.

"I don't need you in my life." I declared.

"Well you still have something I want." Isobel pointed out. "And you have a lot of people that you care about. Let's see there's de facto twin Elena, Bonnie the witch. I'll stay away from her. Sad little brother Jeremy. There's Caroline, the peppy sister of this one who told me everything. Plus we have Matt's Elena, boyfriend and Josh, the ex."

Isobel then proceeded to have someone pounce on the float that Matt was under and it collapsed. A group of guys headed by Tyler and Stefan had to get it off of him.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"I'm showing you how easily I can hurt the ones you love." Isobel stated. "You also may want to give me the invention, unless you want the baby in your friend's belly to grow up without a father."

I then noticed that Jeremy was gone suddenly.

"We have to save him." Ashley cried frantically.

"We will and I'll explain everything, but I have to get him back first," I explained.

"I wanna help." Ashley stated.

"Ashley, this is dangerous." Stefan replied

Ashley's POV

"I love Jeremy. I read about how Taylor risked her life to save yours." I explained.

That led to the three of us Elena, and Bonnie meeting in Mr. Saltzman's classroom.

"So what is this device that she was talking about?" I asked.'

"It's something that Anna's mother stole from Jonathan Gilbert in 1864." Taylor explained. "It's a weapon against vampires."

"How do we get it?" I questioned.

"Damon is not going to hand it over, especially if it hurts vampires." Stefan remarked.

"What if it wasn't?" Elena proposed.

"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked her sister. "Even though we don't know what it does, it has to be."

"I mean what if Bonnie removed the spell that was on it." Elena stated.

We had to go to the boarding house next. This was going to be the first time I was in the same room as Damon after finding out what he did to my sister. I didn't know why we couldn't just steal it from him. Damon seemed pretty adamantly against it.

"Damon, Bonnie is going to fix it." Taylor urged. "It won't be able to kill you."

I certainly wouldn't mind if it did. However, I don't want it hurting Anna, provided she's not already dead. I really hope that she's not dead.

"I don't trust her." Damon declared. "I can save Jeremy."

"Isobel could snap his neck before you even get to him." Stefan pointed out.

Bonnie proceeded to cast a spell on this little circular thing. She made it float, but I don't know if she got rid of the spell on it.

"Do you have any food here?" I asked. I saw Anna eat, but did they eat?

"You are going to have your hands full." Damon declared.

"I think you need to go home now." Taylor told me. "We're going to meet Isobel. Elena can drive you."

"I can't do that." I protested.

"Look, Isobel told me to meet her alone. I'm gonna have Stefan and Damon to protect me, but I don't want you two to be in danger."

Taylor's POV

I headed out to town square. It had cooled down considerably since yesterday afternoon. I had the device in my coat pocket.

'Where's the device?" Isobel asked as she appeared suddenly.

"I'm not giving it to you until I know that my brother is safe." I declared. "Let me see him and I will give it to you."

"This isn't a negotiation." She declared. "Do you think I came alone?"

Her two…slaves is the best word I think….stepped out. I'm pretty sure they were human.

"Do you think I came alone?" I challenged as Stefan and Damon appeared.

"Did you call home before you came here?" Isobel asked.

I didn't know what she meant, but I called home and Jeremy answered it.

"Jeremy, are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Uncle John hit his head." Jeremy explained.

"And we're all laughing." I heard Jenna say. I wonder if Isobel was the one who hit his head. At any rate, Jeremy was safe now.

"I'll be there soon." I declared.

"I really wish that I could have killed him." Isobel declared. "If the boss hadn't told me to let him go, I would have."

Why would Veronica care about Jeremy's life?

"Don't try to look for any redeeming qualities in me." Isobel warned me.

"Just take it and stay out of my life." I told Isobel as I handed the device. I don't know why I needed to, but it was useless so whatever.

Isobel said something witty before she and her slaves walked away. Maybe I should have asked for their freedom.

"Veronica saved Jeremy's life." I pointed out.

"That might be even worse." Damon declared. "Now we owe her a favor."

I decided to text Ashley and let her know that Jeremy was okay.

I went home and was ready to tell Jeremy everything. I found out John was asleep. Jeremy was downstairs and I was about to speak when the doorbell rang. I hoped that wasn't Isobel.

Instead it was Anna. She had black tears on her face.

"Anna." Jeremy said in surprise as I pulled her into the house. "What are you doing here?"

"My mother is dead." Anna replied. I immediately gave her a hug. "She was killed. I know it's a lot to ask, but can I stay here? I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Yes, you can stay in my room." I volunteered. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

I would have to wait until tomorrow to make things right with Jeremy. Maybe this would help.

Well, Taylor and Ashley have patched things up, but she still has work to do with Jeremy. Taylor also seems committed to protecting Anna and this is without knowing would die and lastly what you already expected, Veronica dyed her hair blonde like Taylor. Please don't forget to review.


	23. Founder's Day

Taylor's POV

I woke up for Founder's Day. I had a lot of getting ready to do. Caroline and Ashley had agreed that we were going with a gone with the wind. The theme involved corsets and hoop skirts. It would take me a long time to get dressed. Luckily, Jenna and Elena were helping me. Anna was currently helping Jeremy find a suitable outfit. Speaking of Jeremy, I needed to make things right with him. It might have to wait until after the parade. The dress that I wore was extremely tight. How did women ever wear these? Were there a lot of spinal problems in the 1800s?

Ashley's POV

It wasn't easy to find a dress. I had to get one with a loose top that wouldn't constrict my abdomen. The board did find out about me hiding the fact that I was pregnant, but decided not to overturn the decision. So I was still Miss Mystic Falls. I hoped my skirt would be able to fit through the door. I grabbed some Skittles and began to eat them.

Taylor's POV

I decided to talk to Anna before I left.

"You don't have to come to the festival if you don't want to." I told her.

"I want to go." Anna admitted. "I could use some fun. Plus, I can be your bodyguard until Stefan shows up."

"I'd look more like I was your bodyguard." I pointed out.

The two of us walked to the school where the parade was starting. Jenna, Elena, and Jeremy were going to be in the car. My dress wouldn't fit in it. I saw Stefan, dressed as a Southern gentleman, and Damon, dressed as…Damon and curtsied.

Ashley's POV

I noticed Anna was with Taylor. She had told me that she was staying with them. She whispered something to Taylor before walking to me.

"I'm glad that you're alive." I stated.

"I'm glad I'm alive too." She replied with a smile. "You know I wanted to turn all of my emotions off, but the fact that I have friends made me not want to. You wouldn't like me very much if I didn't have emotions."

Taylor's POV

"John is my father?" I asked Stefan. "Are you sure?"

"We can't be sure unless he confirms it." Stefan declared.

"I've never liked this and now I find out that he's my father. I can't believe it." I declared.

"I wanted to tell you before Damon." He explained.

"I'm praying that this isn't true." I admitted before we went to get on the float. "Should I confront him?"

"Just do what you have to do." He suggested.

"I don't want him as my father." I told him. "I still need to fix things with Jeremy. I hope he'll believe me when I tell him it was his choice for Damon to erase his memories."

"You probably have time to tell him now." Stefan remarked.

I went to find my brother. He was dressed as a Confederate soldier…or Union. I can't tell the uniforms apart.

"Jeremy. I need to talk to you." I declared.

"Well I don't want to talk to you." He remarked as he tried to walk away again.

"I hate that you're mad at me." I told him.

"Well why don't you have Damon erase my memory again?" He suggested.

"I asked you the first time." I said as he stopped in his tracks.

"What?" He asked in surprise.

"You were so upset, and I offered to help get you through before I brought up the possibility of compulsion. You didn't want to remember her like that." I explained.

"How do I know you're not lying?" He asked.

"If you want, you can have Anna compel me." I offered as I took my necklace off. "I would never do something like that against your wishes. After that, I didn't know how to tell you. I still don't know how to tell Jenna. I'm sorry for even bringing up that option."

Jeremy gave me a hug.

"I still don't like Damon very much." I responded.

"No one does." I replied.

Afterwards, we went to the parade. You standing on a slow-moving float is kind of overrated. Amber bailed on the float. I don't even know what she knew. I was just supposed to wave at everyone.

After the parade, I changed into a black off-shoulder top with long sleeves and white stripes. I walked into the Grill and there was Damon.

"You know I prefer a more modern look on you." He declared. I was in a good mood and not even Damon could make me frown. "You know you never smile at me."

"I'm not smiling at you. I'm smiling because I fixed things with Jeremy. Once he heard the truth, everyone was better." I stated. "I still don't like you very much. Stop flirting with me. It's never going to happen. There has to be someone else."

Ashley's POV

I was out of my costume and eating lunch with Jeremy and Anna. Currently, I was wearing a black top, leather jacket, pink miniskirt and hose. I was surprised I got Jeremy to eat some salad.

"I'm glad that you forgave Taylor." I told him as I noticed her walk in. "I mean you two have always been really close."

"Is there any way tha you could make me remember what happened by any chance?" Jeremy asked Anna. I wondered that as well.

"Only the vampire that issued the compulsion can remove it, unless the vampire wasn't drinking human blood." Anna explained as she took a bite of her burger. "So are you going to invite your sister to eat with us?"

You know, Anna and Taylor being friends doesn't make a lot of sense since Anna kidnapped her. That was even more reason for Jeremy to forgive her. Even with the reasons that Anna had, what she did was a lot worse than simply erasing Jeremy's memory, which he asked for in the first place.

"Actually, I think I'm going to check out the festival." Anna announced. She was finished eating, but I still had food on my plate.

Taylor's POV

I actually decided that I didn't want to eat at the Grill. They had food outside, including pizza. They didn't sell pizza at the Grill. As I was scarfing a piece, I suddenly noticed Anna at my side.

"Yes?" I asked with food still in my mouth. That probably wasn't very ladylike.

"I'll tell you when you finish masticating." Anna remarked. I never choked when she said that. "That means to chew."

I blushed as I swallowed my food.

"There are tomb vampires all over this place." Anna stated.

"I thought they all left town." I said after the shock had worn off.

"Well they're back and if I had to guess, they want revenge on the founding families." She declared.

"Do you have any idea when they plan to attack?" Stefan asked as he appeared by my side.

"No, but I think it would be a good idea to tell your brother about this." The dark-haired Goth replied. "Also, you need to find your friends and get them out of here."

"Make sure that Jeremy and Ashley get home safely." I told him.

"John is planning on setting off the device that is a weapon against vampires." Stefan replied. "But Bonnie cast a spell to remove from the spell on it."

I decided to go find Josh because he was someone that I could talk to. I think Stefan was going to look for Alaric.

"Hey, I don't have time for chit chat." I told him before he had a chance to say anything.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Remember those vampires from the tomb that I told you about?" I asked. He nodded. "Well it turns out that they're all here. Can you find Caroline, Matt, and Tyler and make sure that they all get home."

"I didn't bring my car with me." He explained.

"Well just find them. One of them must have driven." I told him before he ran off. I decided that the next thing that I was going to do was call Elena to see if I could find out where she and hopefully Jenna were.

"Yes?" She answered.

"Where are you and Jenna?" I questioned. I did not see her anywhere in my near view.

"Jenna wasn't feeling well, so I took her home." Elena told me.'

"Just stay there for there." I instructed. "There's a bit of a vampire problem right now."

Ashley's POV

Anna came back into the restaurant looking distressed.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Yeah, there are a bunch of angry vampires that want to kill every member of the founding families." She explained. "Where's Jeremy?"

"He went outside." I answered.

"Well, I have to hope that one of the others gets to him because I don't know how much time we have." She told me as she pulled me into the bathroom. "We're going to hide in here for now."

I heard the mayor talking as we entered.

"How long are we supposed to stay in here?" I asked.

"I don't know." She answered. "If I see any of them, I can fight them off."

Taylor's POV

I found Jeremy outside. Stefan came to my side at the same time.

"Jeremy, we need to get out of here." I told him. "Vampires could be attacking at any moment."

"I'm not leaving without Ashley." He responded.

"Anna has Ashley somewhere safe." I explained. "We need to get out of here now."

As the fireworks went off, suddenly Stefan grabbed his head like he was in immense pain.

Ashley's POV

Anna suddenly grabbed her head like she was having a massive headache.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I don't know what it is, but it hurts so bad." She cried.

Taylor's POV

I noticed a deputy was coming towards us with a needle in his hand.

"Hey, I got this one." Alaric declared as he handed the deputy a stake. "There's one over there. Take this. Go."

We took him down into stairwell.

"I don't know what happened." I stated.

"He just fell to the ground." Jeremy added.

"He's not the only one." Alaric explained. "Cops are grabbing everyone who's gone down and injecting them with vervain."

"Anna." Jeremy replied. "We need to see if she's okay."

"We can't Jeremy." I remarked.

Ashley's POV

I held Anna as she cried. A deputy came in with a needle. I decided to stand in front of her.

"She's fine. She just gets these migraines." I lied.

"You need to step away." He told me.

I reached into my purse and pulled out some pepper spray and shot him in the eyes. I kicked him in the groin for good measure as I grabbed her and we ran out the back door.

Suddenly, she seemed like she was fine.

"I don't know what that was." She admitted. "I think maybe now you should get home. I also want to thank you. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't done that. You might get in trouble with your mom."

"I'll just tell her he was harassing us." I replied as I texted Taylor to let her know that we were okay.

Taylor's POV

"I just got a text from Ashley." I remarked. "She and Anna are heading to her house. Are you okay?"

"I'm better now." Stefan replied. "It was like 1000 needles in my brain."

"I saw at least 5 vampires go down." Alaric stated. "They went to your family's old building."

"Did you see Damon?" I asked.

"It's the device." Stefan deduced. "Bonnie must not have deactivated right either intentionally or unintentionally."

"I'm thinking intentionally." Alaric guessed.

"Oh my god, she didn't do it.' I replied. "She must have done something else. She wanted to hurt the vampires. Can you take Jeremy home? Stefan and I need to go and find Damon."

We went towards the building.

"It's on fire." Stefan remarked. We found John in front of it.

"Where's Damon?" I asked.

"He's where he should be." John answered. "Where your boyfriend should be."

"You're mad." I responded.

"Why, because I want to do what your parents wanted to do?" He asked. "You can try to save him. You won't get out alive. That means I won't have to kill you."

"Is there another entrance?" Stefan asked.

"There's a door on the side." I said. Stefan ran off and I tried to follow, but John grabbed me by the arm.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere." He told me.

"Let me go." I ordered. "You can't do this to me. You're my father."

"You know." He declared.

"I do now." I corrected.

I took the opportunity to run off. For some reason, Bonnie was hanging around the building.

"Bonnie, you need to put out the fire." I declared. "Can't you do something?"

She grabbed my arm tightly and began to chant. I don't know what she was doing. She was working with John. I don't know why I should trust her. After not very long, Stefan came out holding Damon. He was alive.

Ashley's POV

Anna and I arrived at my house.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked.

"I would." She said as she stepped inside. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was my mom. I hope this wasn't about the deputy."

"Hello?" I answered.

"Where are you?" She asked.

"I'm at home." I responded. "What's going on?"

"Caroline was in a car accident." She explained. "She's in really bad shape. You need to get down here right away."

Taylor's POV

"So the building's old wiring malfunctioned and that's how the fire started." I told Stefan. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Do you know where Damon went?" He questioned.

"I need to go get my dress from the school before I head home." I told him.

I went the school to look for dress. The only problem was that it wasn't where I put it. I looked around and it apparently wasn't anywhere. Did someone steal it? I sighed. Who would steal a 1860s dress? I mean it's not like they're back in style or anything. My phone rang it. It was Ashley.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Caroline was in an accident. Josh, Matt, and Tyler were unharmed, but she has internal bleeding. I don't know what to do." She explained frantically.

"I just need to check in at home, and I'll be right there." I promised.

No POV

In the kitchen, John was making some food. He wasn't alone.

"Could you give me a hand?" He requested.

"Sure." The blonde, whose hair was in a ponytail, replied as she took a knife and chopped his fingers off.

"Veronica." He replied in shock.

"Hello, John." She greeted him before she stabbed him with the knife. "Goodbye John."

As you anticipated, Veronica is back. Also, Ashley saved Anna. I've decided that Veronica is going to be more a tomboy since Taylor is more girly. Please don't forget to review.


	24. The Return

Taylor's POV

I walked into the house. I heard a groan that sounded like John. I found him on the ground with a knife in him and it appeared that he fingers had been cut off. Now, I absolutely despised him, but he was my father and I was not just going to sit there and let him die. I called 911.

"Behind you." He whispered. I turned around and found that there was no one there. Who was the vampire that was in the house? I did the logical thing and grabbed the knife. Well now it had my fingerprints on it. Whoever it was quickly went out the door. I needed to check on Jeremy.

I went upstairs and found him in his room. He was fine.

"Did you invite anyone in?" I asked.

"No." He replied. "What happened?"

"A vampire was in the house and attacked John." I explained. "Have you heard from Ashley?"

"Not recently." He answered before Elena came out of her room.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Elena, I need you to wait for the ambulance while Jeremy and I go to the hospital." I instructed. "John was attacked. Caroline is in the hospital."

The two of us headed down there. I hoped that Caroline was going to be okay. I couldn't bear for Ashley to lose her sister right now.

Ashley's POV

I sat next to Josh at the hospital. Anna was getting us some coffee. I was really nervous. Bonnie then showed up. Bonnie showed up to ask. I was pretty hungry, but I didn't even feel like eating.

"How's Caroline?" She asked.

"She's in really bad shape." Josh explained.

"We're not sure if she's going to make it." I added.

"What happened?" The witch asked the two of us. I kind of wanted to know too.

"We were driving and Tyler started complaining about this noise Matt, Caroline, and I couldn't hear." Josh explained.

"Anna was complaining about a noise." I stated. I looked at Bonnie angrily. "I thought that you said that you deactivated that device."

"I couldn't do it." Bonnie explained. "I don't even know why it affected Tyler."

"Can someone explain to me what's going on?" Josh requested.

"In 1864, Jonathan Gilbert created this weapon to take out vampires which the founding families used tonight." I explained. "Bonnie, you better have some sort of spell for this because if my sister dies…I don't know…I guess I'll tell everyone that you're a witch."

"She doesn't know a spell." Damon replied as he stepped out. I noticed that Taylor and Jeremy were there too. Jeremy gave me a hug. "Fortunately, I can heal her."

"It's too dangerous to give her your blood." Josh replied.

"Do you have any better options, Bo Jackson?" Damon questioned. Who the hell was that? "Look, this is absolutely the safest place that your girl can be right now. Unless she unexpected aneurysm or something, the blood will probably be out of her system before she even checks out."

'We need to do this." Taylor told Josh. "I mean it's our best option. Caroline is not going to become a vampire."

Damon went back. I'm not sure how he did it, but he did it. At that time, Anna came back with the coffee.

"Where have you been?" I asked.

"All the coffee was terrible so I had to go to Starbucks." The vampire explained.

Taylor's POV

I went to the bathroom. I couldn't help it. As I came out, I noticed Damon.

"So, we should really talk about what happened earlier?" He asked. Did we need to?

"You don't need to thank me. As much as I dislike you, you're still kind of my friend." I admitted.

"No, what happened at your house." He responded.

"Did you attack John?" I asked him.

"No, I mean how you kissed me." He replied. What?

"What are you talking about?" I questioned. "I didn't kiss you."

Jenna then appeared.

"I got your message. How's John?" She asked.

"Where were you?" I inquired.

"I was at the fire department. I told you before I left." She replied.

"No, you didn't.' I responded. There's no way anyone erased my memory.

"Yeah, I did." She argued. I was confused and she appeared to be as well.

"Ronnie." Damon whispered.

No POV

Stefan was in the Gilbert house. Taylor had asked him to keep an eye on Elena. He heard the door open and went downstairs. It was Taylor. Well it looked like Taylor. She was wearing different clothes and her hair was in a ponytail.

"How's Caroline?" He asked.

"She's really hurt." Veronica replied as she cried on his shoulder. She tried to kiss him, but Stefan threw her onto the couch. "Well at least I fooled one of you two."

He held his against the wall.

"You know this is kind of kinky." She commented. The door began to open and she effortlessly threw him to the floor.

Taylor's POV

Damon and I walked into the house. Jeremy was going to stay overnight with Ashley Caroline was unconscious, but I think it worked.

"What happened?" I asked Stefan as he got up off of the floor.

"Ronnie happened." Damon replied.

"She said that she fooled one of us." Stefan responded.

"She kissed Damon." I stated. Stefan looked like he wanted to rip his brother's heart out. I took out my phone and called Ashley.

"Hello?" She answered.

"So there is this vampire named Veronica in town that looks exactly like me." I explained. "I think you need to look for my necklace. I'll make sure that I'm always wearing it. If you see me and I'm not wearing the necklace, it's probably not me."

"So, there are two of you?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah, I didn't think I would ever see her so that's why I didn't tell you." I admitted. "Tell Jeremy. I don't want him to be fooled."

"Okay." Ashley agreed. "I will make sure to tell him soon. I love you."

"I love you, too." I told her before I hung up. We were best friends and Caroline would have died if not for Damon's blood.

I found Stefan had grabbed Damon by the neck.

"Stefan, it was Veronica!" I told him. "I didn't kiss him. I would never kiss him. I love you." I explained as he let his brother go.

"We need to kill her." Damon declared. "Then she won't be able to fool anyone. Luckily for you, Ronnie has decided that you are not worth killing. You should be thankful for that. So who's in?"

"I can't kill her." I realized. "She saved Jeremy's life, but you can't let her turn you guys against each other."

"What if we talk to Papa John?" Damon suggested. "He must know something if she tried to kill him."

In the morning, we went to the hospital. The first stop was to see Caroline. I was in a black sweater dress. It was a little risqué as the front gave glimpses of my skin. It's definitely not something I wouldn't wear a bra with. I found Ashley and Jeremy in the waiting room. They looked well-rested. I imagine it was good news.'

"How's Caroline?" I asked.

"See for yourself." Ashley replied.

She took us into Caroline's room and she was awake in her hospital gown.

"Hey, _Jersey Shore_ is on." The older Forbes said. I was glad that she was okay. I hoped that she would still be okay. I mean there was no chance that she could die before she left, right?

"I have to go see my uncle, but I'm glad you're alright." I told her.

Stefan and I went into John's room. Well we stood outside.

"Are you ready for this?" Stefan asked as he held me close.

"No." I answered. "But we need to do this."

The two of us walked into my father's room

"John." I declared. He freaked out as soon as he saw me. Stefan grabbed his hand. His fingers had been reattached.

"I'm not Veronica." I explained.

"We want to know why she did this to you." Stefan declared.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"We were hoping you could tell us." I told him as I put his ring in his hand. "Do you know what she wants?"

"You know she'll probably try again, maybe just snap your neck next time." Stefan told him. "We can't help you if you don't talk to us."

"I don't want to talk to you." John remarked.

"Then talk to your daughter." Stefan suggested.

"My daughter should have driven a stake through your heart as soon as she found out what you were." John spat. "Last night was the first time that I spoke with Veronica. So, you can either kill me, or you can get out because I can't stand the sight of you with me daughter."

"You're such a pitiful man." I told him. "I know why Veronica tried to kill you. I kind of wish that she was successful."

I exited the room after that.

NO POV

At the mayor's wake, Veronica walked up as she noticed Tyler by the door.

"Hey, Taylor." He greeted. "Thanks for coming. Come on in."

Veronica smiled as she entered the house.

Ashley's POV

I went outside and saw Taylor and Stefan. I confirmed this with the necklace.

"So do you think you can take Jeremy and me to the Lockwoods'? " I asked. "I mean I'd have to get changed, but I think we should go and pay our respects even though the mayor's death was his own fault."

"Sure." She replied before she looked at Stefan. "What did you tell John?"

"I nicely suggested he should leave town." Stefan replied.

"You threatened him, didn't you?" Taylor asked.

"Yes." Stefan answered as I went to get Jeremy.

Taylor's POV

"I need to find Damon." He announced. "He tried to kiss you."

"Veronica was the one who kissed him." I reminded him. "Promise me that you give him a hard time. He loved her. He might still love her."

No POV

At the wake, Bonnie walked up to Veronica.

"I can't believe Damon. He thinks that he's hot stuff because he healed Caroline." The witch ranted. "It was his fault to begin with."

"You're right. Damon is jackass." The vampire stated.

Bonnie then touched her and realized that it wasn't Taylor she was talking to.

"I have to pee." She replied. Bonnie walked into another room and before she could even take out her phone, Veronica was there.

"We haven't met." The blonde said. "You can call me Ronnie."

"I know." Bonnie declared.

"Yes, you're the witch." Veronica stated. "You know it hasn't been that hard to figure this out. You think more people would notice that girly Taylor isn't dressed so girly."

Bonnie cast a spell to give her an aneurysm, but she shook it off.

"Don't you think Emily tried that one on me?" Veronica asked as she grabbed the witch by the neck. Bonnie then made the doors open suddenly. "Not bad."

"Veronica." Stefan greeted her.

"Hello, Stefan," She purred as she began to walk.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"I decided that I wanted to pay my respects to the great mayor of Mystic Falls." Veronica quipped as she grabbed some wine off of a tray and took a sip.

"You know Taylor is about to get here." Stefan told her.

"I'm avoiding Damon." Veronica declared.

"Maybe you shouldn't have kissed him then." Stefan proposed.

"Hey guys." Josh replied as he walked up to them.

"Josh, I don't know if you've met Veronica." Stefan replied. "She is not Taylor."

"What?" Josh asked in surprise.

"Must you spoil my fun?" Veronica pouted.

"What's going on?" Josh questioned.

"It's simple. Taylor looks like me." Veronica replied. "I'll be outside."

"She's a vampire." Stefan stated before he went outside. "What are you doing here?"

"I missed you. Not seeing someone for 145 years really eats at you." She declared

"Why did you want me to think that you were dead then?" He challenged.

Taylor's POV

We walked inside of the house.

"This looks like a big crowd." Ashley commented.

"Well he was the mayor." I noted.

"It seems like a lot for the wake." Jeremy declared.

"Well they were here for us." I reminded him. "We should be here for them."

I noticed Damon.

"I'm gonna talk to him." I explained as I walked over. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Damon responded.

"I know that Veronica being back must be hard for you and I didn't mean to come off so harsh when I said I would never kiss you." I explained.

"I understand." Damon declared.

"I just don't want you to do something stupid." I admitted.

"Veronica is not going to get me to do anything stupid." Damon boasted.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were looking for a spot to make out in after I got some food. I wanted to kiss him. We found a room where Tyler was with a flask.

"Sorry." Jeremy apologized. "I'm sorry about your dad."

"You know you're like the fiftieth person to say that today." Tyler commented. I decided to withhold mine then.

"When my dad died, I had a house of strangers telling me what a good guy he was." Jeremy replied. I was there.'

"Your dad was a good guy." Tyler responded. "My dad was a prick. You want any of this?"

He obviously wasn't offering it to me.

Jeremy took a drink when this older guy showed up.

"Do you kids have somewhere else to be?" He asked. Was that Mason Lockwood?

No POV

Veronica and Stefan walked around.

"Did you ever wonder why the Lockwoods inherited all of the land from the tomb vampires?" The blonde questioned. "Why not your family? Maybe the fact that the only one left was your bastard brother something to do with it."

She wasn't saying anything that wasn't true.

"Why kill all of them?" Stefan asked. "You and Pearl turned most of them. Speaking of which, is that why you made your attack on John?"

"Pearl wasn't worth getting revenge over." Veronica explained.

"You haven't changed, have you?" Stefan asked.

"Of course I have." She responded. "I rarely wear dresses anymore. You know I like that tight t-shirt that you're wearing. It really brings out your abs."

"I don't feel like flirting with you. I'm not Damon after all." He remarked.

"Well you do have a girlfriend that looks like a more feminine version of me." She pointed out. "You loving her hurts me. We used to have such a great thing."

"That _great thing_ was you compelling me." Stefan reminded her.

"I didn't compel you all of the time." She argued.

"You're a bitch." He remarked.

"I love you Stefan." Veronica said before she grabbed a branch and pinned him against a tree with it. He groaned in pain. "You may know sometimes love hurts."

Taylor's POV

I ended up cleaning Stefan up. I would be happy about him having to take his shirt off, but Veronica was here and professing her feelings for him, which I didn't like.

No POV

Damon went up to his room to find that Veronica was on his bed in her red bra and panties.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I was feeling horny and I was looking for someone to get me off." She remarked. "I would really like it if it was you."

Damon tried, but found himself unable to resist him. She helped him out of his clothes and removed her underwear. She got on top of him and began to moan.

Once she was done, she began to get dressed.

"So you're just gonna fuck and run?" He asked.

"It's always gonna be Stefan that I love." Veronica remarked. "How about instead of you taking your anger out on me, go channel it elsewhere."

Ashley's POV

I was in Caroline's room with her.

"So I heard that Damon donated some blood to me." She replied. Yeah, basically. I nodded. "You know, as much as I want to hate him, I've always still liked him. I know that he's know good for me, but I can't help."

"You really shouldn't." I told her. "You have Josh."

"I know." She stated.

"So you don't mind if I go?" I asked

"No, go and sleep in your own bed." She suggested. I gave her a hug before I left.

Taylor's POV

I was getting ready for bed when I suddenly saw Damon on my bed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Veronica doesn't love me." He replied. "She said that she loves Stefan."

"Are you drunk?" I asked as I smelled the alcohol on his breath.

"You know I really thought that you wanted to kiss me." He replied.

"Damon, I love Stefan. I am in love with Stefan." I explained.

"What's going on here?" Jeremy asked as he entered the room.

Without warning, Damon went over and snapped Jeremy's neck. I ran over and Damon looked shocked at what he just did. He exited and I began to cry before I noticed John's ring on Jeremy's finger.

After about an hour, he woke up. I had called Stefan and Ashley over. She was pretty shocked.

"Did Damon kill me?" He asked.

No POV

Caroline woke up to find Veronica at her bedside. She rubbed her eyes.

"Taylor, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"My name is Veronica." The vampire declared. "I have a message for you to give to the Salvatores."

"What are you talking about?" Caroline questioned. "What message?"

"Game on." Veronica remarked before she took a pillow and smothered the human.

So you got your share of Veronica in this chapter. She seems pretty self-absorbed, but she might just have a hold over Damon. Please don't forget to review.


	25. Brave New World

Taylor's POV

I was setting up for the school carnival with Elena and Bonnie, the former was in her cheerleading uniform. I was in a white halter top and black skirt.

"Veronica looked just like you." Bonnie remarked. "It was freaky."

"Well they are related." Elena pointed out.

"This was an exact duplicate." Bonnie went on. "And she's a vampire."

"I don't want to talk about her." I stated. "I just want to get this together so Caroline doesn't kill me."

"How do you know that she's not still pretending to be you?" Bonnie asked. Her not shutting up was frustrating me.

"I don't know." I replied.

"Have you talking to Damon?" The witch questioned.

"I don't have anything to say. I wish I could say that I was done with him, but I don't think he's going anywhere." I explained. "I just want the only vampire in my life to be Stefan."

"So how did you get in charge of this?" Bonnie asked me.

"Well with Caroline in the hospital and Ashley visiting her, it falls to me." I remarked. I then went inside to look for Jeremy. I found him talking to Stefan for some reason. Have they ever talked before?

"Well today our dictator Taylor is setting up for the carnival." Stefan stated. I feel like I missed a good part of this.

"Jeremy did you?" I asked.

"Yeah, the goldfish toss is in place." Jeremy cut me off before he walked away.

"Is he okay?" I questioned.

"He was killed and brought back to life. He's kind of shaken up." Stefan pointed out.

"Well maybe we can be boring high school students and we won't have to worry about vampire doppelgangers." I replied.

"I think I know what you need: a kiss on top of the Ferris Wheel." He stated.

"I would love that." I told him.

"The only problem is Damon is kind of out of whack because of said vampire doppelganger." He declared.

"Can we worry about it tomorrow?" I requested.

Ashley's POV

I was at the hospital with Josh. We walked into Caroline's room. I was in a black and white top with a black leather miniskirt and jacket.

"Mom said that you need to eat." I remarked as I chowed on some bacon.

"It's terrible food." She replied. She was right, but I was hungry. Josh went in for a kiss, but she pulled back before their lips touched. That was kind of weird even for her.

"So you're getting released tomorrow." I responded.

"I want to get out tonight." Caroline declared.

"Sorry, but Taylor has the carnival under control." Josh told her. "You're gonna have to stay here."

"It's not about the carnival. This place is depressing." She stated.

"That's because you're in the dark." Josh pointed out as he opened the blinds. Caroline quickly got out of bed and stood in the dark corner. "Are you okay?"

"Will you please just close the window?" Caroline requested. This was weird. "Close it."

Josh closed the window.

"Okay, we're gonna go to school." I replied before the two of us left the room.

"She seemed like a…" Josh remarked, not saying the last word.

"She can't be." I declared. "How would she die in a hospital? She's probably just being Caroline. She's not exactly the most sane person."

"I hope that you're right." He replied. I hoped I was too.

Taylor's POV

I was getting ready for the carnival. I had to be there early to make sure the set up was good. Luckily, I had an assistant to help me. I looked over to Anna.

"Thanks for helping me." I declared.

"I'm a guest. I can help you. Besides, I have experience setting up this kind of things. I've worked a few state fairs in my lifetime." She explained.

"Why, if you mind me asking?" I questioned.

"Boredom mostly." She answered. "So how long do you think that Jenna is going to let me stay here?"

"I think she's willing to let you stay as long as you need." I remarked. "It's not easy to lose your mom. You don't have to go anywhere. I mean having one more person to share the shower with is a bit annoying, but it's not something I can't handle."

"Thank you." She replied. "So I think this carnival is going to be kickass."

"I hope so. If it's anything less you can plan for my funeral." I joked.

We went to the carnival together. After everything was in place, Anna left to try to socialize…or possibly find Ashley and Jeremy. I know she said that she wanted to find a guy. I don't know if I should be worried about that. I guess as long as she's not hurting anyone, she has the right to date.

Half an hour in, things were already going to chaos. Bonnie told me that we were running out of prizes. Maybe the games were too easy. I know real carnivals sometimes rig their games. While that might not be ethical, it's how they make money.

"And a speaker is blown out in the karaoke room." Elena told me.

"Hey we can do this Taylor." Bonnie told me. "Just take some deep breaths. This is a big hit. Caroline would be proud."

I found one of the carnival guys.

"Hey, Carter, I need something." I called over to him.

"What is it, beautiful?" He asked. I think he was a little old to be hitting on high school girls. Bonnie was eating it up and went to go fix the speaker with him.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were getting some food. I wonder if there's like a goal number of pounds I'm supposed to gain. I know I'm gonna have lose it after I have the baby.

"Jeremy, Ashley." Damon greeted us. Why did he have to show up here?

"Aren't you a little old for a high school carnival?" Jeremy asked him bitterly. I think we should just walk away.

"Yes." Damon replied. "You don't have to be so cold."

"Saving my sister doesn't give you the right to kill my boyfriend." I pointed out. "So I think you should listen to Michael Jackson and beat it."

"Clever." The vampire commented. "I actually wanted to apologize. I don't know what came over me."

"This isn't something that saying sorry is going to fix." Jeremy replied before the two of us walked away.

I looked to my phone and noticed that I had a text from Caroline. Apparently, she had convinced the doctor to let her out. Well she is very persuasive. I hope that she's okay and that she's not a vampire. I don't know how it would be possible for her to become one.

We went to this arm-wrestling thing. Tyler was taking on all comers. I think Jeremy might be able to take him, but he wasn't interested. Apparently Damon had followed us, but he was watching Tyler. I noticed that Stefan had also showed up. Why was everyone so interested in this? I mean it's really not that exciting. It's just a bunch of guys trying to be macho and say that they are better than the others.

Taylor's POV

I went over to Anna at the basketball toss.

"So how is the search for a man coming along?" I questioned.

"Not so good. There's a major lack of male real estate at this school." She stated. "You are so lucky that Stefan happened to fall into your lap."

"I was the one that did the falling." I pointed out.

"We have a problem." He declared.

"Yeah, it involves my brother.' I spat.

"No, it involves his girlfriend's sister." He replied. I didn't understand. Caroline was still in the hospital, wasn't she? "Ronnie paid her a visit."

I went to go find Ashley to tell her this. This was not good. This was very bad.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were at the ring toss with Josh when Caroline suddenly showed up and covered his eyes.

"Surprise." She remarked.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in surprise.

"The doctor said that I was better." She explained. "I feel a lot better."

"Well why don't you give it a try?" He suggested as he handed her a ring. She tossed it lightly and broke the bottle. Okay, that is not normal. I don't know if I can keep ignoring the signs.

"I have to go." She declared.

She left quickly and then Taylor was there. She looked worried about something. I think it was true. Caroline was a vampire.

We went to Mr. Saltzman's room. Anna, Stefan, and Damon were there.

"How did this happen?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"Ronnie must have gone in the hospital." Damon replied.

"Why did she do it?" I asked.

"Because Veronica is insane." Damon answered.

"She said 'Game on.'? What does that mean?" Stefan questioned.

"Caroline doesn't know anything about this. Why did it have to be her?" I asked in confusion.

"She understands what's going on." Damon replied. "She remembers all of my compulsions. We need to kill her."

"NO!" I responded. "You are killing my sister!"

"Do I need to bring back the Vicki Donovan story?" Damon asked. Did he have to bring her up.

"Caroline is not Vicki." Jeremy argued. "There is no chance that we are going to kill her."

"If you kill her, I kill you." Taylor responded coldly. I don't know how she would back that, but Anna might.

Taylor's POV

I walked out of the room alone and Stefan and Anna followed me.

"I want you to stay with Damon." I told Anna. "Do not let him out of your sight."

"Got it." Anna confirmed. "This is going to be very hard for Caroline."

"Well we can do this." I replied. "We're going to let Ronnie have what she wants."

Ashley's POV

"I have to tell Josh." I said to Jeremy. "He has the right to know this."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"He's Caroline's boyfriend." I pointed out. "We need to make sure what happened between you and Vicki doesn't happen again and the best way to do that is to tell him."'

Taylor's POV

"Damon isn't right, is he?" I asked.

"I think she can survive, but the odds aren't exactly in her favor." Stefan explained. "Veronica basically signed her death sentence."

"We're going to make sure that she's alright." I promised. "We didn't save her just to let her die. I don't know where she is."

"I smell blood." He replied.

I followed him in the direction of smell and that was where I saw Damon and Anna with Caroline and Carter…who was dead. There was blood all over Caroline's face. So this was already not going well.

"Leave her alone, Damon." Anna commanded.

"Look I don't want her to kill anyone else." Damon stated.

"I'm not going to kill anyone else." Caroline declared.

"Damon, I think we can learn from the mistakes that we made with Vicki." I replied. "We can see if Bonnie can make her one of those rings that you guys have. If she can go out in the sun, she won't be like this."

I went toward Caroline and she showed immediately hostility.

"Get away from me!" She told me. "You killed me!"

"Caroline, that wasn't Taylor. That was Veronica." Anna said to her.

"I don't even know who you are." Caroline told the Goth vampire.

"I'm Anna. Your sister knows me." She explained.

"Why did she look like you?" Caroline asked angrily as Ashley and Jeremy arrived.

Ashley's POV

I was in shock. Caroline had killed someone. She actually killed someone. I needed to remain calm. Caroline definitely wasn't.

I grabbed Caroline and looked at Anna telling her to come with me. The two of us ended up taking Caroline to the bathroom. Bonnie spotted us as we went toward there. She seemed like she was in denial to be honest. I closed and locked the door behind me.

"Bonnie hates me! I'm a murderer!" Caroline cried.

"Caroline, please calm down" I instructed.

"I killed that guy." She continued as veins appeared under her eyes. Anna took a paper towel and got it wet to clean her face off. "Does this keep happening to my face?"

"Caroline, you can control it." Anna stated as she showed the same veins to her before they disappeared.

"Why did Veronica do this to me?" Caroline asked calmly.

'We don't know, but we won't let her get away with it." I promised as I gave her a hug.

Taylor's POV

Bonnie was freaking out.

"It's all his fault." Bonnie declared. She was looking at Damon. "It's all his fault."

Suddenly a line of water caught fire heading toward Damon.

"Bonnie, he didn't do this!" I declared. "He didn't do this."

"Yes he did. He did everything!" Bonnie replied as Damon caught fire.

"Maybe you should light me on fire." I said as Damon stopped, dropped, and rolled "I brought him here. On maybe you should light yourself on fire because you allowed John to set off the device that affected Tyler for some reason. Veronica did this. If you want to hurt someone, hurt her."

That got Bonnie to snap out of it.

"I think you two should go." I told Stefan. "We can handle this."

The two of them left and I looked over to Jeremy.

"I'm so glad that you have that ring." I told him. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

Ashley's POV

After Caroline was all cleaned up, I took her home.

"Come inside." I invited as she stepped in. "Let's get some food in you. You can eat. You're going to be okay. I promise you're going to be okay. We're going to help you get through this."

"Thank you." She told me.

Taylor's POV

That night I went home to find Stefan in my room.

"This was a crazy night." I replied. "We didn't even get to go to the top of the Ferris wheel."

"Do you really want to?" He asked me.

"No, not really." I answered honestly. "I don't know why Veronica is so intent on making my life hell."

"She wants me to love her and I'm not going to." He explained before he went toward the window to make his exit.

"Stefan…don't go." I begged. I want to be with you tonight. It's been so long since we've been able to do this. I want you to make me feel better."

I pulled my top off and began to undress him as well. Piece-by-piece, the two of us stripped until we were both naked. I laid down in my bed. I wasn't in the mood for foreplay. I let him slowly enter me as he went at a slow, steady pace.

"I love you so much." I told as I orgasmed.

"I love you too." He replied before I fell asleep

So Taylor wanted something else instead of the Ferris Wheel. Also, Anna and Caroline finally met. There wasn't any Veronica in this chapter. How will things go between Josh and Caroline now? Please don't forget to review


	26. Bad Moon Rising

Taylor's POV

I was in the boarding house with Stefan, Damon, Ashley and Anna. We were waiting for Ric to show up. Damon got the door and the teacher and stepfather walked in.

"Can I get you something to drink? Bourbon? Coffee? Bourbon in your coffee?" Damon asked.

"Taylor said that you needed my assistance." Ric declared.

"We were wondering if you knew anything about the Lockwoods." I remarked.

"Why would I know anything about the Lockwoods?" He questioned.

"You wouldn't but you were very close to someone who might." Damon replied as he took a seat next to me on the couch.

"He means Isobel's research." I explained. "You said she researched this area."

"Isobel's research here was based in folklore." Ric declared. "I thought it was fictional."

"You mean like that amazing vampire story?" Damon quipped. There was no need for that.

"Were any other things besides vampires?" Ashley questioned.

"Lycanthropes." Ric replied.

"You mean werewolves?" Damon asked. "No way. They don't exist."

"They do exist, Damon." Anna argued. "I've never seen one, but I've heard about the attacks."

"This is too Lon Chaney." Damon remarked.

"You do know that Lon Chaney never played a werewolf, don't you?" Ashley questioned. That's my friend, the horror buff.

"Why do you expect the Lockwoods?" Ric asked.

"Vervain didn't affect them, but the device did." Damon pointed out.

"And Mason exhibited some inhuman behavior at the carnival." Stefan added. "I think I saw his eyes glow yellow even."

"So do you if Isobel's research could help?" I asked bluntly.

"It would be at Duke." Alaric answered. "Her office is there since she's still missing."

"Can you get us in there?" Damon asked. "If they're wolves, we need to know what we're dealing with. We need to know what we can find out about Mason and Tyler."

Ashley's POV

The next day, I was at home with Caroline. She kind of looked like stole some of my makeup. I was wearing a black single-shoulder top with a white and red skirt, black hose and boots and no extensions. The doorbell rang. I went to get it and it was Josh.

"Caroline can't see you right now." I told him. "We're waiting until she gets a ring and then she has to learn how to control her cravings."

"When can I see her?" He asked.

"Well we want to be sure that she doesn't attack you." I explained. "You need to take a break from each other for a little while."

"Well I'm going to be at the swimming hole later. If she's able to come by, I'd really like to see her."

Taylor's POV

I was currently packing for my trip to Duke. Damon was unfortunately coming with because Stefan was going to be trying to help Anna with Caroline. I was dressed in a black tank top and layered grey skirt with black flats.

"Are you sure you want to go?" He asked. "I can hold off my mission until tomorrow."

"I need you to help Caroline." I told him. "I'll be fine with Damon. Besides, I'll have Ric with me."

"Maybe we should wait a few days?" Stefan suggested.

"Do you have a problem with me going with Damon? How many times do I have to tell you that I love you?" I asked.

"No, I want you to go. These are things that you want to know and I'm not going to stop you from trying to learn them." He remarked.

"Let me assure you that there is about as much chance of me doing anything with Damon as there is the Pirates winning the World Series this year? So do you remember when the Pirates were actually good?" I asked.

"It was the year you were born actually." He declared.

"Maybe I cursed them and not Barry Bonds." I joked.

"I love you." He told me.

"I love you too." I reciprocated.

"Taylor, you coming?" Jenna called from downstairs.

I headed down the stairs and out to Ric's car. Once we were outside, I felt like rubbing it in Damon's face and put on a public display of affection. He definitely didn't seem to like that. I don't know if he was jealous or just annoyed. We left soon after.

Ashley's POV

I met up with Anna and Jeremy at the Grill. Stefan was trying to get Bonnie to make a ring for Caroline. Bonnie seemed hesitant. It was at that point, Anna walked over and I followed her.

"Look, Bonnie, the longer that Caroline is shut off from humanity like she is, the easier it will be for her to turn her humanity off. I know you don't like that she killed someone, but she could kill dozens if she shuts it off and she won't regret it." Anna remarked. Okay, I did not want to think of my sister like that. "I bet you can't even do it. I knew Emily Bennett, Emily Bennett was a friend of mine, and you are no Emily Bennett."

"Fine, I'll do it just to show you that I can." Bonnie agreed. That was genius.

Taylor's POV

I was sitting in the back of Ric's car. I was a little upset because A. Damon was there and B. no one wanted to hear the Taylor Swift CD I brought with me. I don't know if I could get over Damon killing my brother. He tried talking to me, but I said nothing.

"You killed her brother." Alaric pointed out.

"There is an asterisk next to that." Damon replied. "He was wearing that ring."

"It doesn't matter if he was wearing the ring or if you knew he was wearing it. You still killed him." I spat.

"I couldn't help myself." Damon asked.

"Do you expect me to believe you?" I responded.

"Yes." He answered.

"Well I don't." I remarked.

Ashley's POV

I sat in Caroline's room with her while Anna and Stefan stood with Bonnie. Jeremy was waiting outside.

"So there are some rules. I can dispel the ring after spelling it." Bonnie explained.

"Stop lecturing her." I remarked. "Just get off your high horse and can't the spell."

I left the room and that's where Jeremy met me.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm getting really sick of Bonnie's holier than thou attitude." I told him. "I'm pretty sure my hormones are acting up because I'm really angry."

"How about I take you somewhere you can calm down?" He suggested.

"I'd like that." I declared.

Taylor's POV

We walked into the Emestine Friedl Building once we got to the campus.

"So, Isobel was officially employed by the Anthropology department." Ric told us. "Paranormal phenomena are rooted in folklore."

There was a student, probably a teacher's assistant in the office.

"Hi, I'm Alaric Saltzman. I called earlier." He said.

"Yes." The girl replied before shaking his hand. "I'm Vanessa Munroe, Research Assistant: Comparative Folklore. Let me grab Isobel's keys."

"I'm sorry this is my friend Damon and my stepdaughter Taylor. I hope it's okay that they're here." He introduced.

"Isobel's office is right through there. She was one of my first professors." Vanessa stated. Apparently she was informal with her students. "Did they ever find her?"

"No." Ric lied.

Vanessa led us to the office which was old and dusty, and kind of creepy.

"I'll get the light." She stated as she left the room. I then noticed she had returned with a crossbow and fired. I ducked for cover as Damon sped in front of me and took the shot. Ric grabbed her by the neck and held her against the wall. I then pulled the arrow out of his back.

"That bitch is dead." Damon commented. I was conflicted about this. She tried to kill me, but could I let Damon kill her?

"Maybe we should talk to her." I responded. "We need to know why she shot a crossbow at me. If we deem her a threat, then you can kill her."

"Are you thinking rationally?" He asked.

"Okay I freaked." Vanessa admitted. "Veronica Billings can't be alive and Damon Salvatore died in 1864. I read Isobel's research."

"Then you should know how possible this is." He stated

"My name is Taylor Gilbert. I'm Isobel's daughter and descendant of Veronica Billings." I replied. "We want to know what you know and you are going tell it to us. We need to see all of Isobel's research."

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I ended up going to the swimming hole. I wasn't in a bathing suit, because I didn't want to put my bare, pregnant belly on display. Stefan and Anna had taken Caroline out hunting for animals.

"So how is everything going?" Josh asked me.

"Stefan was taking her hunting." I replied. I decided to leave out the Anna part because he didn't know her. "By hunting, I mean actual hunting, only no guns will be involved."

"I'm getting kind of impatient here." Josh remarked. That made me kind of angry.

"Look, she is going this a really hard time in her life and if you don't think you can handle that, maybe you should just break up with her!" I snapped before Jeremy dragged me away. "I thought you said this was supposed to make me feel better."

"Okay, why don't we go somewhere that's just you and me?" He offered.

"I'm sorry that I'm acting like such a bitch." I apologized.

"I'm pretty sure this is normal." He stated.

Taylor's POV

Vanessa gave me a box that apparently had everything related to Veronica's arrival in April 1864.

"This is everything? You're not hiding anything?" I asked. She kept asking questions. I stopped at reading minds. "He's not Edward Cullen. No vampire has special powers that others don't. Damon is just a dick."

Ashley's POV

We went out in the woods and sat down by a tree.

"Do you think I look fat?" I asked.

"No." He answered.

"Liar." I replied.

"You really haven't gained much weight." He told me.

"Well I'm going to." I stated.

"This is going to be okay." He replied as he pulled me in for a hug. We lived in a world with vampires, how hard can a baby be?"

Taylor's POV

I looked through the papers as Damon hovered around.

"Stop doing that!" I told him. "There's nothing about Veronica that we don't already know."

"You know if you weren't so vicious, I might tell you more." He mentioned. I just rolled my eyes.

"Hey, we found some stuff about werewolves." Ric called over. "This says something about the Curse of the Sun and the Moon. Basically a shaman put a curse on the vampires and werewolves that makes vampires hindered by the sun and prohibits werewolves from turning except on a full moon."

"That's tonight." I pointed out. Why did I not consider that?

"Can they control the transformation?" Damon questioned.

"If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called a curse." Vanessa countered. "Werewolves will attack humans, but instinct draws them to vampires."

"I would know about this." Damon replied.

"Vampires have been hunting werewolves for a while." Vanessa explained. "It's estimated here that there are under a thousand in the US. Legend says a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires."

"We need to call home now." I remarked. I then went through my contacts and dialed Stefan. I need to have him first in it.

"Hi." He answered.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"We're over by this swimming hole on the old Lockwood property. I think Anna was flirting with Tyler, maybe to find out if he's a werewolf." He

"Well if he or Mason is a werewolf, you need to get inside immediately. Legend says it's a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires." I explained. "You need to get Caroline."

"She was talking to Josh." Stefan answered. "I have to find her."

Ashley's POV

The moon was full and beautiful.

"We need to get going." I declared. "Most werewolf movies have the full moon in common."

"Shouldn't you find out where Caroline is?" Jeremy asked. "It's not just us out here."

I dialed Caroline and got no answer. I then dialed Anna.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Do you know where Caroline is?" I questioned.'

"We separated when we got to the swimming hole." Anna explained. "I'll start looking for her."

Taylor's POV

I found an old picture of Veronica.

"Have you researched doppelgangers?" I asked.

"A doppelganger is a lookalike in German it means double goer." Vanessa explained. "If you're looking for anything else, you won't find it here. I can say that doppelgangers have been known to torment their doubles."

"Sounds like Veronica." I responded.

"Too bad no one else knows." Damon commented.

"Damon, if you're going to tell me, tell me." I ordered. "If you're not, then shut up."

Ashley's POV

We met up with Anna and continued to search for Caroline. We found her kissing Josh. Then she started to bite and drink his blood before she began to choke.

"What's happening?" She asked.

"Vervain." Anna replied. "I hear something. It sounds like a wolf."

Jeremy and I didn't see what happened next. Stefan showed up and Jeremy and I had to get Josh away as fast as possible while the two of them tried to protect Caroline.

He had regained consciousness.

"I can't believe that she bit me." Josh remarked in shock.

"I told you that she's having a hard time. She probably feels really bad about it." I declared. "If you ask me, I think you guys should break up until she has everything under control."

Taylor's POV

We were about to leave. Damon was once again in my face.

"Look, I don't want to play any more games with you." I told him.

"I found something you may want to see." He replied as he showed me a book.

"Bauer?" I asked.

"It's Ronnie's real name." Damon remarked. "Verena Bauer. She's from Germany."

I don't think Nazi jokes would be appropriate here.

"I haven't read it yet, but you can tell me." He continued. "I am sorry for killing Jeremy. I literally don't know what came over me. I feel like she has a power over me sometimes. You know I'm not in love with you as some people may think. I just never really have had many friends. I really like you as a friend."

I actually think that I wanted to believe him.

Ashley's POV

Caroline, Anna, and Stefan made it back to the water okay. I hugged my sister as soon as I saw her.

She then looked over to Josh. I couldn't hear what they were saying.

"They're breaking up." Anna replied. "Caroline needs to focus on learning to control her thirst and can't be bothered by a relationship."

"I think that I need to take my sister home." I declared before I remembered that I was 15 and pregnant. There was no way that I could drive. "Can you drive her car?"

Taylor's POV

We arrived home and I looked at Damon.

"I probably shouldn't do this, but I forgive you." I declared. "I'm warning you, though. This is the last time."

"I understand." He replied.

No POV

Caroline woke up the next morning. She found someone sitting at the foot of her bed. It was Veronica.

"Hey Caroline." She said. "Just to clear things up, it's me, Ronnie."

Caroline backed up.

"I need you to do something for me." The doppelganger declared.

So, Veronica is German, not Bulgarian. Caroline still fed from Josh, but she ended up drinking some vervain. And Taylor forgave Damon. This also means the love triangle is over, but a new one is about to pop up that doesn't involve Taylor. Please don't forget to review.


	27. Memory Lane

1864

Veronica and Stefan were dancing together at the town hall. It was the dance where they weren't touching.

"You're such a good dancer." The vampire complimented. He went into kiss her. "No touching Mr. Salvatore."

"I thought you didn't believe in rules, Miss Billings." Stefan stated. "My brother is upset."

"I chose the brother who is a better dancer." She declared. "He seems to have found someone to occupy himself."

Stefan then noticed Taylor and realized it wasn't 1864, it was a dream. He woke to Veronica, dressed in lingerie in bed with him.

"Morning." She greeted him, pretending to be Taylor. Stefan then realized Taylor hadn't slept over and got out of bed quickly.

"Veronica…" He stated.

"I was so close too." The blonde stated. "Maybe next time I won't wear anything. Do you know how easy it is to manipulate your dreams?"

He charged at her and she effortlessly pushed him back.

"Ah, ah, ah, no fighting unless it's followed by lovemaking." Ronnie declared.

"What do you want?" Stefan inquired.

"I wanted to be with you." Veronica replied. "We could have something amazing sex."

"Why are back in town?" He asked as she looked around his room.

"Well there are three people I want to see: you, you, and…you." She answered.

"You spent so much time away. Where were you then?"' Stefan responded.

"You know that you still love me." Veronica declared.

Taylor's POV

Ashley, Anna, and I were studying together at the Grill. I was wearing a white sundress. Damon suddenly appeared and I almost jumped.

"Don't do that." I ordered. I noticed Ashley didn't want to be around him.

"Are you girls leaving so soon?" Damon asked.

"Well obviously this isn't a good place." Ashley remarked icily. She was a lot less forgiving of him than me.

"I guess I'll see you at Jenna's barbecue then." Damon replied.

"How do you know about that?" I asked. I hadn't told him or invited him.

"It was my idea." The male vampire declared. "Jenna and Mason were school chums, so I figured I should get them together, so I had Ric to suggest…"

"Does she you'll be there?" Anna questioned as I Damon received a pie.

"I am hoping I can get through to her through her stomach." He said. Ashley frowned. I know she really wanted to come and hang out with all of us there.

"What are you planning?" I asked.

"I'm putting some silver into Mason." Damon whispered before he walked away.

"Ash, don't let your dislike of him dissuade you from going." I told my pregnant friend. "Besides, where else are you going to get my family's famous ribs that you loved even before you were pregnant?"

"Okay, I'll come. I guess I don't have to pay attention to him." Ashley agreed.

No POV

Stefan found Veronica is the living room reading one of his diaries. She still wasn't dressed, most likely on purpose.

"You shouldn't read someone's journal." He commented. "It's rude."

"Well how else will I get the things you used to tell me?" She challenged. Stefan took the book from her and gave her some blood. "So I heard that you had a werewolf sighting."

"What do you know about werewolves?" Stefan questioned.

"I know they're dangerous. They have quite a bite." She explained.

"How do you know this?" He asked.

"Who got rid of the vampires in 1864?" She quizzed.

"The founding families." He answered.

"And who were their leaders?" Ronnie continued.

"The Lockwoods." Stefan realized.

"So that dream you had, that happened apart from the Taylor part. It was there one of my friends informed me about an attack that followed the full moon." Veronica told him. "I guess you could say it was an animal attack."

"So all of the Lockwoods are werewolves?" Stefan asked.

"The werewolf gene is in the Lockwood family." She corrected. "They're not all wolves."

"Are there others?" He inquired.

"Yes." She answered. "They're definitely on the endangered list. They mostly just exist in bad movies now. When was the last time you saw a good one? So why did you keep this picture of me? I thought you didn't love me at all. Why did you come back? Was it for Elena?"

"It was for my nephew." Stefan replied. "Some of us still care about our families."

Stefan got up. He looked like he was about to kiss her before he stabbed her with a vervain needle and carried her to the dungeon to chain her up.

"I didn't know you were into bondage." She commented.

"How about you cut the jokes and tell me why you're here?" He suggested.

"I already told you. I came back for you." She responded.

Stefan grabbed some vervain and rubbed it against her face. She screamed.

"Tell me." He demanded.

"It's going to take more than that." She stated. "Do you want me to call you Master? Okay, I was at the Founder's Ball, George happened to find me."

"What did he want?" The younger vampire asked.

Taylor's POV

Jenna, Elena, and I were getting everything ready. Well I was pouring chips into a bowl.

"So why is Damon coming?" Jenna asked.

"Because he's Alaric's….only friend." I explained. "Come on, Jenna. Be nice."

"I'll be nice when Damon learns to not touch you." Jenna remarked icily. Yeah she saw him kissing Veronica. I wish I could say it wasn't me.

"That was a mistake and we talked about it." I explained.

"I'm with Jenna on this." Elena concurred. She was mad about him killing Jeremy too.

Ashley's POV

Caroline and I arrived at the house. I was in a white tee and black shorts. I wasn't sure if I would wear maternity clothes or not. Caroline looked like she was actually.

"So are you better now?" I asked her.

"You know I think I am." Caroline replied. "Ever since Anna started giving me the blood bags, I feel a lot better and I have less cravings."

"Lucky you." I muttered, once again looking at my belly.

"You know you're going to have a beautiful baby." She told me.

"I just wish it didn't take so long." I admitted. We rang the doorbell and I smiled as Jeremy let us in.

Taylor's POV

"Found the shot glasses." Mason declared as he entered the kitchen.

"Well I need to go." I remarked as I saw that Jeremy had let Ashley and Caroline in. Anna was actually volunteering at the hospital so she could get a little bit of blood when she was done. It seemed like it would take a lot of control for that. It seemed like everyone was here except for Stefan. I decided to call him and only got his voicemail. Caroline came out with said bowl of chips. I guess Ashley and Jeremy were up in his room.

"Were you calling Stefan?" She asked.

"Yeah, he hasn't returned my calls." I told her.

"Well maybe you shouldn't be so pushy." Caroline suggested as she chowed on the chips. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was pregnant too. "I cannot stop eating. Stefan says that it helps curb the cravings. Fighting the urge to feed on people is a bitch."

"He hates it too." I informed her.

"Well he has problems fighting off the urge to rip out your jugular." Caroline remarked. "It's why Josh and I had to break up. I don't know if it would work."

"Hey, food's ready." Ric told us.

"Well I'm starving." Caroline declared as we got up and went into the kitchen.

No POV

"So how long do I have to wait before you talk?" Stefan asked the doppelganger. "Do I have to wait for you to desiccate? I could put you in that tomb you escaped the first time."

"It's your turn to talk." Veronica countered. "Do you like to think you're human with Taylor?"

"I don't pretend anything." Stefan told her. "I can be myself."

"Does she know you love me?" She asked.

"I never did." He pointed out.

"You loved me before you found out about me." Ronnie argued. "Maybe compelling you was a bad idea, but it was the best I could think of at the time. You cannot claim that you never loved me."

Ashley's POV

We were playing Pictionary after dinner. Damon was up and he was drawing a wolf wearing a tutu.

"Dress! Ballerina!" Jenna shouted.

"Puppy! Puppy with a tutu?" Caroline guessed.

"It's _Dances with Wolves._" Mason replied. I didn't even know what that was.

"Mason wins again." Damon declared. "How is that a wolf?"

"What's _Dances with Wolves?"_ I whispered to Jeremy.

"It's about this guy who pretends join this Native American tribe but finds out they're the good guys." Jeremy explained.

"So it's like _Avatar?" _I asked.

"Yeah James Cameron basically stole the idea." Jeremy explained before he gave me a kiss.

"Your turn Ashley." Jenna stated. I smiled and got up. I knew exactly what I was drawing.

Taylor's POV

I was unloading the cobbler in the kitchen when Damon walked in.

"Aunt Jenna seems to be getting tipsy." He said.

"You probably didn't need this then." I told him. "Why did you have to get peach cobbler? What's wrong with apple pie?"

"There you are." Jenna stated as she entered the kitchen. "Isn't this fun?"

"Thank you so much for inviting me Jenna." Damon replied

"Ric invited you." She pointed out as I went into the living room.

"So what happened with you two?" I heard Mason ask Ashley and Jeremy. Did he not know the birds and the bees?

"We had sex." Ashley replied bluntly.

"Well obviously without protection." Mason commented. "I'm sorry to pry."

No POV

In the boarding house, Veronica was still chained up.

"How does denial taste?" She asked. "I remember you telling me that you loved how I loved running around and having fun and drinking. Is Taylor anything like that?"

"Well whatever I felt, it's gone now." Stefan declared.

"I'll just wait for them to come back. You see unlike your human, I am eternal." Veronica reminded him, "Anyway, George was causing trouble and blaming the vampires for it. I got him to strike a deal so no one would know about him."

"_The roundup happens tonight." George told her._

"_Make sure they do a body count." Veronica instructed. "I want 27, not 28. I need at least one of them to survive. I cannot explain why at the moment. I'll escape but everyone will think I died."_

"You sent your friends to their deaths to help yourself?" Stefan asked angrily.

"I will do anything to protect myself." Ronnie replied.

"But why keep one alive?" Stefan asked in confusion.

"Maybe if help me out of these chains, I'll tell you." She bargained.

Taylor's POV

"Would I be a terrible friend if I left you guys here to talk to Stefan?" I asked Ashley and Caroline.

"No, not at all." Ashley replied.

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Caroline questioned.

"I haven't talked to him all day and I want to make sure he's okay." I explained.

"You don't need to be clingy." Caroline remarked.

"It's not being clingy. She just wants to see her boyfriend." Jeremy declared.

"I'll drive you." Caroline volunteered.

"Okay sure." I replied. I guess I would not have to stop for gas then.

I went out to her car and got in the passenger side while I waited for her.

No POV

"What did you give George?" Stefan asked.

"Something he wanted." Veronica answered.

"Well I know that I'll never love you again now." Stefan declared. "You were running from someone. Tell me who."

"It's too long a story to go into right now." Veronica declared. "I nearly failed because of my own love for you. I wanted to say goodbye, but I didn't get the chance."

"We tried to save you." Stefan told her. "Doesn't that mean anything to you at all?"

"I didn't want to be saved." She replied.

"That means we died for nothing!" He yelled.

"You died for love." She argued.

Taylor's POV

We were driving when suddenly the car stopped.

"Are you out of gas too?" I asked.

"No, I think I have a flat." Caroline replied.

Ashley's POV

Everyone was starting to leave. I was currently with Jeremy in his room.

"So what's with Anna working at the hospital?" He asked.

"It's so she can have easy access to blood for Caroline." I replied. "She comes in through my window and then Caroline takes the blood and she gets rid of the bags. I kind of hope she sticks with it because she might be able to help me when I give birth."

"Provided it's on a weekend." Jeremy stated. "It seems like in the movies it's always during the least opportune time."

"Well I'm set to deliver before school starts." I pointed out.

Taylor's POV

We were standing on the side of the road as we waited for the tow truck. The insurance always takes forever. I wish I had my credit card so I could just pay the driver myself. I was getting impatient obviously.

"Did you call them?" I asked.

"Yes.' She answered.

"Can you call again?" I requested.

"I don't want to bug them." She declared.

"We can walk from here." I pointed out.

"I don't want to leave my car." Caroline whined.

"Then I'll go by myself." I said.

"I think you're wasting your time on something that won't last." Caroline remarked.

"Caroline, you don't have the right to go there." I scolded her.

"He's a vampire. You are not. It's going to work out." Caroline explained.

"Screw this I'm walking." I declared as I walked away. Caroline grabbed onto my arm. "What is going on? You have five seconds."

She didn't give an answer and I walked away.

No POV

"So are you going to tell me?" Stefan asked.

"I've already told you. What part of I love you don't you understand?" Veronica asked in frustration. "I'm getting really sick of seeing you with Taylor. So unless you want me to start killing people, you will break up with her. I will kill all of her friends and family."

Stefan grabbed a stake and held it over her. She didn't blink. She decided at that point to break the chains to Stefan's surprise.

"I have been sipping vervain every day for 145 years so I don't get caught off guard again." Ronnie told him. "I wanted to spend some time with you."

"Hello?" Taylor asked from upstairs.

Taylor's POV

I entered the house and began to look for Stefan.

"Hello Taylor." A voice very similar to my own said. I turned around and saw my mirror image: Veronica. She wasn't wearing more than a black bra and boyshorts. "Do you like them? Stefan and I were just doing a little thing together. There were some chains involved. It was very kinky. You kind of interrupted us."

"You're lying." I replied.

"Am I?" She responded.

"Taylor." Stefan said as he ran up the stairs. I turned my back and Veronica was gone. "Are you okay?"

"Are you?" I countered.

I gave him a tight hug

No POV

Caroline was at the Grill, in the bathroom washing her hands. She noticed Veronica, now dressed with her ponytail.

"I gave you some orders." She declared.

"I tried everything." Caroline replied. "She was too stubborn to listen to any of it."

"I already killed you once." Ronnie declared. "If I need to, I will do it again."

Taylor's POV

Stefan and I walked into the Grill together. I noticed Caroline as we entered.

"Taylor, I'm so sorry about earlier." She declared. "I don't know what came over me."

"Caroline, you're going through a hard time. I won't hold anything against you." I remarked.

"You're not mad at me?" She asked.

"No." I responded before I went over to my table.

"So why was Veronica in her underwear?" I asked. We had rehearsed this and I had a hunch.

"Do you think I slept with her?" He asked me. I hoped this wouldn't get too heated.

"She said that you did!" I shouted. "What were you doing all day that you couldn't even send me a text message? That is the only explanation I can think of."

"She's either sadistic or masochistic, possibly both. She threatened you and your friends." He explained.

"Maybe I should just leave." I replied.

"Are you breaking up with me?" He asked.

"Maybe." I stated. No.

I went home and I when I got there, I found Stefan in my room.

"The first thing I did was kiss his lips.

"I hated fighting like that." I told him in between kisses.

"Well Caroline seemed to be listening so I think you were right." He told me. "We have to find out what she has on her."

"Just know that I love you." He told me.

1864

Veronica looked over the dead bodies of Stefan and Damon after being freed.

"George." She stated.

"We had a deal." George replied.

The vampire reached into her dress and pulled out the moonstone.

"Make sure your family keeps it safe." She instructed. "I will be back for it someday."

Before she made her move. She went and kissed Stefan's corpse.

"I will see you again my love." She told him.

So Veronica's and Stefan's talk went a little different. Plus, the barbecue went well. Jeremy and Ashley didn't have much to do in this chapter, but that will change. Please don't forget to review.


	28. Kill or Be Killed

Taylor's POV

I was preparing for the day with Elena by my side and Jeremy looking into our bathroom. I was dressed in red floral shorts and a blue floral blouse. I was feeling floral today. I was going to this park building today, Elena was doing something for Matt's birthday, and…I don't know what Jeremy was doing. Ashley would be at the park so he might be too. I think Anna was supposed to be getting back tonight.

"I can't believe Tyler's a werewolf." Jeremy stated.

"We only know that Mason's one." I corrected. "Stefan said that saw Tyler when Mason was a wolf, so it looks like he's not at the moment and we don't how he becomes one."

"I can figure it out." Jeremy replied.

"Jeremy, you shouldn't be involved in this." Elena stated.

"Elena, I think you should let him make his own decisions." I proposed. "Just be careful and don't tell Tyler about the vampires."

"Got it." Jeremy replied as he left. Elena looked at me disapprovingly.

"Don't look at me like that. I know you don't really want to be involved in this stuff, but if he wants to, it's his choice. Pretty much everything has werewolves changing on the full moon, so he should be okay."

I opened my closet and when I closed it, there was Stefan. Elena put a hand over her chest, clearly freaked.

"Sorry." He apologized before he kissed me.

"I thought you two were fighting." Elena remarked.

I shushed her. "This is supposed to be a secret." I said. "You can't tell anyone that we're not. I haven't even told Ashley because I don't want Caroline find out. Veronica needs to think we aren't getting along and definitely not kissing. Promise me that you'll keep this a secret."

"I promise, but I'm not even going to be in town today." Elena declared before she left. I then kissed him some more.

"You ready for today?" He questioned.

"Not really." I answered truthfully. "Mason is going to be there and he'll be pissed."

"I was talking about pretending to fight. We have to let Veronica think she has the upper hand." Stefan replied.

"We could just not talk to each other." I suggested. "I can hang out with Ashley and Caroline. Above all, we need to prevent this thing from becoming real. We can't let her really come between us."

"She won't." He promised.

Ashley's POV

Caroline and I walked into the foyer and saw our mom in civilian clothes. I was dressed in pink plaid shirt and white miniskirt. I think I loose clothes over maternity ones.

"Are you off?" Caroline asked.

"It's the Historical Society's Volunteer Picnic. You girls signed me up remember?" Mom responded. I didn't think that she would actually be there.

"We kind of assumed that you'd bail." Caroline admitted.

"I want to spend the whole day with my daughters." Mom stated. "It's been a while since we did anything together. Sure, it's not getting manicures, but it's something."

"You're going to pretend to be a mother?" Caroline asked in disbelief. That was kind of harsh. At least she was here, unlike Dad.

"Give me one day." Mom bargained. "I'll even bring my gun in case things rough."

"Be warned. I'm moody today." Caroline declared.

"I guess it is that time. Speaking of which, Ashley I remember tomorrow's appointment." Mom remarked. I don't know if I miss having a period or am thrilled. I know that I'm not completely done with them like Caroline is. "So why was Taylor here so late last night?"

Taylor wasn't here last night…oh.

"She needed to talk because she and Stefan are fighting right now and Ashley was already asleep." Caroline improvised. I don't like how Veronica is coming between them.

"Are you okay?" Mom asked Caroline. "Lately you seem different."

Oh no, she wasn't figuring it out, was she?

"I'm still the same Caroline, right Ashley?" My sister asked.

"Right." I declared.

"I know you don't think I don't notice but I do, so what's going on?" Mom replied.

"Let's not act like this caring mother thing is real." Caroline said harshly. If I didn't think that Mom might kill her, I would tell her.

Taylor's POV

I went to the park alone. I looked as people were building. I actually had no clue what it was supposed to look like when it was finished or if I would come here, but volunteering looks good on college applications, which I still hope to go to someday.

"This new park is part of the historical society's continuing efforts to give back to the community. Thanks to a generous donation from the Fell family…" Mayor Lockwood spoke. I looked over to Josh. I don't know if it was a good idea for him to come. "…we are now standing on what will be our city's new public park."

I met up with both Forbes sisters after the speech was over. We were going to be finishing some wood because Ashley couldn't do much lifting.

"So our mom now wants to be mother of year when I'm trying to avoid her." Caroline gabbed.

"I personally think she is being too hard on her. I know our Mom not exactly on our side, but we might be able to get her on our side." Ashley remarked. "Do you have any ideas?"

"No." I responded. I wonder if Ashley knows about the Veronica thing.

"I guess I was a bitch." Caroline admitted. "Not like that's anything new."

"So how are things with you and Stefan?" Ashley asked.

"We haven't really talked since our fight." I lied. "There definitely hasn't been any makeup sex."

"Well maybe with all that's going on with Veronica." Caroline tried to comfort me.

Ashley's POV

Taylor looked like she didn't actually need comfort.

"Taylor, do you want to come to the bathroom with me?" I asked. Well the bathroom actually hadn't been built yet. I really just needed to take her somewhere Caroline couldn't hear.

"You don't have to go to the bathroom, do you?" Taylor asked.

"No, but I need to talk to you." I said. "Are you and Stefan really even fighting?"

"Y-yes." She stammered unconvincingly.

"I know you're lying." I stated. "Why are faking fights with Stefan?"

"Because Veronica is threatening Caroline and wants to make sure that Stefan and I aren't together." She explained. "You can't tell her about it."

"My lips are sealed." I declared. "I just think that you two really need to be careful. You are treading dangerous waters when it comes to that girl."

"I know that." Taylor responded.

"So what's Jeremy doing today?" I inquired.

"He was going to try to find out if Tyler is a werewolf or not." She told me. "I'm sure it's just two dudes hanging out with each other."

We made our way back to see that Damon standing next to Caroline.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline asked.

"You need to stop being such a bitch to your mom." Damon told her.

"I didn't know that was something that you cared about." I remarked. I mean I saw them talking, but it couldn't mean anything, right?

"Your mom is one of the few people in this town that I consider a friend." Damon answered before he left. Okay, so he does care.

Taylor's POV

I decided that I couldn't get into a fake fight with Stefan and went over by the river to pretend sulk. Ashley and Caroline both soon joined me. I wonder if we ever finished finishing.

"So, just between us and I don't think that Stefan slept with Veronica." Caroline stated. "I really think he's just trying to protect you from a psychotic bitch vampire that I hate very much."

"I'm not looking to be protected." I replied in irritation. "I'm not some fragile doll that's going to break if I fall over. I know because I've fallen over a lot. I don't mean to be getting mad at you. I'm just stressed."

"Well it's hard." Ashley replied. I hoped that she was a good actress.

"You two are just trying to be good friends." I stated.

"No, I'm not." Caroline replied. Was she about to spill the beans? "Is she leaving? Where is Mom going?"

I know the Sheriff was walking away at that point. I didn't know where she was going,

"We'll be right back." Ashley said.

Ashley's POV

Caroline and I went over to her. She was hanging up the phone apparently talking to someone at the station before we got there.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Nothing….I just have something…" Mom babbled.

"Are you leaving?" Caroline asked. She sounded hurt. I think I should be prepared for her to say something bitchy.

"You said you were going to spend the day with us." I reminded her.

"I really need to work on this. Something big has come up." Mom stated. I hope this was something crime-related and not something vampire-related. "I'm sorry."

Taylor then made her way over as she walked away. I didn't expect Caroline to be so gentle.

"What's going on?" Taylor inquired.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this." Caroline remarked. "We should follow her."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Somewhere that I can hear better." Caroline replied. Well I'm glad that I don't have to pretend that Taylor and Stefan are fighting at the moment. "Gunshots! I just heard gunshots! It's sounded like Stefan and Damon falling to the ground in pain. I don't know who was firing."

"I think it was Mason." Taylor remarked. "He wants revenge for Damon trying to kill him."

"We need to get over there." Caroline declared. We began to run, following behind her. Can we go back to pretending that Taylor and Stefan are fighting? I hope that I don't get hurt here. I don't want to miscarry…or die. I hoped that Caroline would be able to find them. Was there a specific scent that they had? Was she using her ears? I need to find out how her vampire senses work, but probably at a less crucial time than this.

Caroline then stopped.

"What is it?" Taylor asked.

"I've been here." Caroline declared. "This is where I was with Josh.

"What are you girls doing out here?" Mason asked as he appeared in front of us. He looked menacing.

"I'm looking for Stefan." Taylor declared. "Have you seen him?"

"I've seen him." Mason replied as he walked closer to us. He wasn't closest to me. This guy was a lot different from the one at the barbecue. "I've seen Damon too."

"Where are they?" I demanded.

"Why don't you ask your sister about it?" He questioned. "Does your mother know what you are? I could tell her."

Caroline was seething. Before she could come at him, he grabbed me by the neck. He wasn't choking me, but I was still breathing heavily.

"Careful, necks snap easily around here." Mason threatened.

"Let her go or you'll regret it.' Caroline replied. I hope you know what you're doing Care.

Caroline rushed over and pushed him off before kicking him into a tree and in the groin. I think she would have killed him if not for the fact that we have a limited amount of time to save Stefan and Damon. Three of us ran off.

Taylor's POV

We arrived at this set of steps.

"Where are we?" I asked. Caroline shushed me. "What's going on down there?"

"It's my mom. She's killing them." Caroline declared.

"We have to stop her." I remarked as I tried to go down, but she stopped me.

"Caroline, we need to do what's right and what Mom's doing isn't right." Ashley replied.

"But she'll find out about me." Caroline said.

Ashley and I both went down the steps. We would have to convince her not to kill them. I really don't know, but we would have to.

"What are you two doing here?" The sheriff asked as we got down there.

"I'm not letting you kill them." I declared. I then heard the sound of Caroline dashing. She bit into one of the deputies' neck. The other began shooting at her and she used the first guy as a shield before she bit into him. The sheriff then looked up at her daughter in shock.

"Hi Mom." Caroline said, causing her to drop her gun.

The second deputy was actually still alive, but Damon ended up finishing him off. I went to Stefan. He looked like he was in a lot of pain. Ashley was sitting next to her mom while Caroline was across from her.

"You need some deputy blood." Damon told his brother.

"Stefan, I think you'll be able to get through it this time." I told him. "It's not going to happen again."

"This is a most unfortunate situation." Damon replied as Ashley came over us and helped me get Stefan up. He looked at the sheriff. "What am I going to do with you?"

Damon deliberated for a moment and Caroline tried to convince her not to tell and then she begged him to kill her, but he didn't. She seemed to be really upset that Caroline was a vampire.

'Relax, no one's killing anyone." Damon responded. "You're my friend."

What ended up happening was that Damon ended up locking her up in the boarding house. He planned on keeping her there until the vervain passed.

That night, Caroline arrived with a suitcase. I think she wanted to stay over. Ashley was with her.

"Damon thinks it will take three days for the vervain to leave her system." I explained.

"Well then it looks like I'll be here for the next three days." Caroline declared.

"What about you?" I asked Ashley.

"I was hoping that I could stay with you." Ashley responded. "I also need someone to take me to the doctor tomorrow."

"If I have time, I'll do it." I promised.

I later found Stefan leaning over the fridge with an unopened blood bag in hand.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Veronica took a little vervain every day to build up immunity." He mentioned. "Maybe I can do the same."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Taylor, I couldn't get up after being shot. Damon could at least move." He stated.

"If you're going to drink blood, drink mine." I suggested. "I believe you won't let it control you this time."

After a few minutes, I put a Band-Aid on my neck and went upstairs to talk to Ashley and Caroline.

"Mom hates me." Caroline said to her sister.

"She's just in shock." Ashley replied. "It'll get better.

"Veronica is going to be at our house." Caroline replied. "She'll want to know about everything that happened between Taylor and Stefan."

"Who did she threaten, Caroline?" I inquired.

"Josh." Caroline answered with tears in her eyes. That was my first guess. "She threatened to kill him if I didn't do what she said."

"You can stay here, Caroline." I told her, despite the fact that it wasn't my house.

Ashley's POV'

After a little while, Taylor took me to her home. The story was I didn't want to catch what my mom had because my immune system was low. I went up to Jeremy's room.

"Hey." I greeted him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm staying over for the next few days." I told him. "It's a long story that I'll tell you about in the morning. So what did you do today? Did you miss while I was at the park?"

"I went to see Tyler and found out that he's not a werewolf." He answered. Well, that's good news. He had some girls over, but nothing happened. I swear."

"I believe you." I told him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He reciprocated.

Taylor's POV

I went up to my room to see Anna. I guess she was back.

"Long day?" She asked.

"Very long day." I corrected. "I guess you didn't find what you were looking for?"

"Nope." She answered.

"Well move over. I need to get some sleep." I told her as I got into bed.

No POV

Mason got into the passenger side of a car. In the driver's side was Veronica.

"You're late." The vampire replied. Mason went in to kiss her, before she stopped him. She slapped him instead. "That was for your stunt with Stefan and Damon."

"I thought you'd be happy about that." Mason replied.

"You need to stick to the plan. We/'re not here to kill anyone." Veronica reminded him.

"You killed Caroline." Mason reminded her.

"No, I turned her." She argued. "Turning is different from killing. You're lucky that didn't blow up in your face. So did you get the moonstone?"

"Yes." He said before he kissed her.

So, Veronica doesn't actually want to kill anyone which to is true to her characterization from earlier. Also there's a poll about whether you want Ashley to have a boy or girl. It will be decided when the next chapter is posted, so you don't have much time. Please don't forget to review.


	29. Plan B

Taylor's POV

I woke up in the morning with Stefan in my bed. The past few days have actually been calm. I don't know if things were getting better, but when the highlight of the past few days was finding out that Ashley was having a girl. I looked over Stefan's nude Adonis body as he slept.

"You're staring." He said without opening his eyes. I guess he wasn't asleep.

"I'm gazing." I argued.

"It's creepy." He declared.

"It's romantic." I refuted. He then covered up with a pillow, but I wasn't having that and we started doing it again. "I should feel bad that we're having sex now."

"Do you?" He asked.

"We can't have Veronica find out." I remarked with deep breaths.

"She won't." He told me as I felt him go deeper.

No POV

Meanwhile, Veronica was rolling in some sheets of her own.

"Not so loud." Ronnie said playfully. "Miss Flowers won't think very high of me if she finds out that I have a man over."

"What are you even doing here?" Mason inquired.

"I like somewhere quiet that I can sleep where I don't have to worry about people finding me." Veronica told him. "I think I prefer the bed most."

"So do I." Mason agreed.

Taylor's POV

I got up off him after a second run-through.

"I need a shower because I'm sharing the house with three other girls, one who is pregnant, my brother, and my aunt." I remarked.

"Let's go." He said.

"Not this time." I stated. "I have to be at the Lockwoods' in 17 minutes. There's this decorating committee for the masquerade ball."

"That's a funny coincidence because I'm also on it." Stefan replied with a smile.

"Are you sure that you should go considering Mason tried to kill you?" I asked.

No POV

The vampire pushed the werewolf back on the bed as she went down on him. Before she finished she came up.

"Where's the moonstone?" She asked.

"It's in a safe place." Mason responded.

"Why won't you tell me?" Ronnie pouted.

"I don't trust anyone." Mason stated.

Taylor's POV

"I'd rather be there than leave you alone with him." Stefan told me.

"Well this is going to be the highlight of today." I explained. "We're not talking and we shouldn't even look at each other. You should probably get dressed and leave now. I really need to bathe."

No POV

"I told you I don't plan on killing anyone and that includes you." Veronica said before she bit into him.

"Easy there, Ronnie." Mason told her.

Taylor's POV

"We need to do one more thing." Stefan reminded me. I let him bite into my wrist and after a few seconds he was done.

No POV

Ronnie licked up his blood.

"So what happens when you get the moonstone?" Mason asked.

"We can get married and maybe adopt some underprivileged Indian baby." The blonde declared.

"I'll make sure to bring it to you tonight and then we can get out of this town." Mason responded.

Ashley's POV

I stood next to Jeremy on the porch of the boarding house. I needed to see my mom and he needed to talk to Damon. I was wearing a loose khaki dress and leather jacket with black boots. I don't know how much longer I would be able to wear heels. I really haven't done much research, but I heard wearing heels in certain trimesters is bad.

"What can I do for you two?" Damon asked.

"I need to talk to you." Jeremy declared. I decided that I would hear this and then

"I don't need to talk to you." Damon responded.

"Tyler has to kill someone to become a werewolf." Jeremy explained.

"You can go now." Damon replied. What a dick.

"Mason is looking for a moonstone: a special rock with mystical powers." Jeremy continued.

"Why are you telling me this?" Damon asked in confusion.

"Because he wants Mason dead/gone after he tried to kill me." I explained. "Now if you excuse me, I need to go see my mom."

I noticed that Caroline was by the stairs.

"She won't talk to me." My sister remarked. "She hates me."

"No, she hates vampires." I argued. "I think we can change that by showing her that you're still the same Caroline that she gave birth to."

Taylor's POV

I looked around the Lockwood yard as I looked for something to do. I wore a blue and grey short-sleeved top with a brown hem and a pleated black skirt with my hair in a ponytail and black three-inch heels. I spotted Josh and decided that I could talk to him since I hadn't done that in a while.

"So where's Stefan?" He asked me. I guess I did have to answer that.

"We're fighting right now." I told him. "You know we haven't talked much lately. How are you doing?"

"It's hard not being with Caroline. I don't even know if she even still has any problems with blood anymore and I know that's why we broke up, but she hasn't talked to me at all." He remarked.

"Well, she's not gonna be here today." I responded. "She's watching over her mom."

"I heard she was sick." Josh stated.

"What's really happening is found out about Stefan and Damon and Caroline being vampires and the Salvatores were keeping her prisoner until the vervain got out of her system." I explained.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Josh asked.

"She's not as open-minded as other. I don't know if her knowing about Caroline is a good thing." I responded.

Ashley's POV

Caroline and I stood outside of Mom's cell. She was lying on her back. Caroline opened the door and the two of us walked in. I wanted to give her a hug, but I'm not sure if she wanted to see me. She sat up and the two of us noticed a plate full of food that hadn't even been touched.

"Are you gonna eat?" I asked. I didn't get a response. "So I found out that I'm having a girl."

Still nothing.

"So Doctor Damon says the vervain should be out tonight and we can get you out of here soon." Caroline tried only to also be met with silence.

"Mom, we want to talk to you." I remarked. "You can't seriously want to pretend Caroline doesn't exist, can you?"

"Yes." She answered. "I want you to go, both of you."

I guess she was mad at me for not telling her, but given her reaction, I didn't have a reason to tell her.

"Fine, I was just trying to be helpful." Caroline replied spitefully as she grabbed the tray. I kind of wanted to eat that even though it was cold. "It's not like I died or anything."

That kind of was it.

"Are you really dead?" Mom asked sadly.

"Not entirely." Caroline said

"How?" Mom questioned. Caroline shut the door. I still wanted to eat the food. I decided I would give them a few minutes before so I could eat before I came back down. I found Jeremy and Mr. Saltzman were upstairs. I didn't know what was going on.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I'm helping Damon since I'm the one who found out about the moonstone." Jeremy explained to me and the teacher.

"Does Taylor know about this?" The teacher asked.

"No." I answered. "What's in the box?"

"Isobel's research from Duke." He responded. "Her assistant sent it to me?"

"I remember her." Damon stated.

"Do you remember the old Aztec curse she told us about?" Alaric asked.

"What Aztec curse?" I inquired.

"Supposedly vampires and werewolves used to roam freely before a shaman put a curse on them to limit their power." He explained. "Since then werewolves can only turn on a full moon and vampires are weakened by the sun."

"Are you even sure shamans are real?" I inquired.

"According the legend, the werewolf part is sealed with the moonstone." Alaric continued.

"What do you mean sealed?" Jeremy asked.

"It's a witch thing." Damon answered. "Whatever seals it usually unseals it."

"Mason probably wants to use the moonstone to break the curse." Alaric declared.

"Should really be dumb enough to take this picture as the word of God?" Damon asked rhetorically. He then looked at Jeremy. "You said you know where this stone is."

"Tyler has it." Jeremy answered.

"Get it from him and your life will have a purpose until your little one is born." Damon remarked as he grabbed Jeremy and took him away.

Taylor's POV

I had just finished telling Josh everything about Veronica.

"So are you saying that Caroline just wants to protect me from your murderous lookalike?" Josh asked.

"And she wants me to break up with Stefan." I added. "That's why I'm not with him right now."

"I really wish that you guys would tell me more about this." Josh admitted. I didn't have a good response.

"I'm telling you now." I proposed. "And while I don't like excluding people, this is still dangerous."

At that time, Anna walked up to us.

"There you are." She said. "Jenna sent me to find you."

"You two haven't met." I stated. "Josh, this is Anna. She's the vampire that's staying in my house."

"Hi." Anna greeted him. "You should probably be getting back now."

"Okay, I'm coming." I said before I stumbled in my heels. Josh ended up catching me. "Thanks."

"It's not something I've never done before." He replied. "So if you and Stefan are still on the outs then, do you think you might want to come to Masquerade with me? You know as a friend?"

"Sure." I replied. "You can let go of me now."

He let me go and walked away as I smiled began to follow behind him.

"What are you doing?" Anna whispered to me.

"I'm not cheating on Stefan, but I want to go to this." I explained.

As I neared the house, Bonnie and Elena came to me.

"Taylor, please tell me that you're not sleeping with Mason." Bonnie demanded.

"What?" I asked, wondering how she even got that idea in her head before I realized the answer. "Veronica. You need to tell Stefan about this. I'm keeping my distance for now."

They walked away as did Anna and suddenly Damon was behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Looking for my brother. Speaking of which, I want yours to leave me alone." He answered.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Ask him." He said before he walked away and I found Jeremy.

"Jeremy, what are you doing here?" I questioned. If he had signed up I wouldn't be confused and I don't know why he was hanging out with Damon.

"I'm looking for Tyler." Jeremy replied.

"Are you two suddenly friends now?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, we are." Jeremy responded.

"And where's Ashley?" I questioned.

"She's at the boarding house." He told me.

"Well I guess I'll help you." I remarked. I really didn't want to do this decorating this anyway.

The two of us went to find Tyler.

"Hey man." Jeremy greeted him once he was done talking to Matt.

"So Jeremy was telling me that you had this cool moonstone." I remarked. "I heard about this Aztec legend that involves the same kind of stone. Is there any way I could see it?"

"Nope, my uncle has it." Tyler answered.

"I thought you weren't gonna give it to him." Jeremy remarked.

"Well I'm done with all of this supernatural stuff." Tyler replied. Well, that was a dead end. I decided to text Stefan the news since that was the only contact I could have with him. I wouldn't be surprised if Veronica had found some way to tap my phone.

Ashley's POV

I was back downstairs with Caroline as she explained herself to Mom.

"I'm drinking mostly from blood bags." She said. "It doesn't taste as good as fresh blood, but it's safer."

"So you're stealing from the hospital?" Mom asked.

"Damon is." I replied. "He said that always get way more than they actually need."

"I'm been stealing from them." Caroline remarked.

"But as long as you have blood, you don't need to hurt people?" Mom inquired.

"I kind of want to, but I don't need to and I've gotten much better at controlling it." Caroline admitted. She did it much quicker than Stefan said that she would.

"We haven't talked like this in a long time." I noted. "All three of us haven't talked like this since Dad left."

"I don't want this." Mom declared.

"I'm sorry, but it's something that I can't change." Caroline stated. "Damon's here."

Caroline and I went upstairs and suddenly there was a very awkward conversation between her and Bonnie that I didn't want to witness. I went to go check on what Damon was doing. I noticed that he had Mason chained to a chair. Okay, this was weird.

Taylor's POV

I was currently folding clothes with Matt and Elena. I don't know why I was folding clothes. What was the point of folding these clothes?

"So, why isn't Caroline here?" He asked. "This seems like her thing."

"She's taking care of her mom." I answered. It really wasn't a lie."

"I can't believe that she and Josh broke up." He commented as I was suddenly hit with the awkwardness of Stefan coming over. We weren't supposed to be in the same room. He then looked at his phone and I looked at him. Should I be worried about what he's doing?

Ashley's POV

I watched as Damon heated up a poker from his fireplace. It looked like he was planning to torture Mason. It seemed interesting.

"What's the point to all this?" I asked as Mason cried out in pain.

"I just want to make him feel pain." Damon replied. "Those wooden bullets hurt."

I didn't have a response.

"So how do you know my girl Ronnie?" Damon asked.

Taylor's POV

I ended up following Stefan to an old well. He looked surprised to see me.

"What are you doing here?" He asked me.

"I could ask you the same question." I pointed out.

"Unless Veronica has cameras attached to all of the birds, I think this is a same place." I remarked. "What's in the well?"

"It's a moonstone that has to do with the Curse of the Sun and Moon." Stefan answered before he tore the lock off and opened it. "I'm going in."

He jumped down and I noticed something green was down there. Vervain, the well was filled with vervain. Now I had to find a way to save him. I noticed that some chains that were too heavy for me to lift.

"Taylor." Caroline said as she run over.

"Stefan's down there." I replied as Caroline tried to go down. "No, you can't the well is filled with vervain."

She lifted the chains and we began to plan for our rescue. I hoped I wouldn't screw this up.

Ashley's POV

Mason wasn't talking. I noticed Jeremy had walked in.

"Did she seduce you? Tell you that she loved you? What?" Damon pried.

"What's he doing?" Jeremy asked.

"Trying to get answers to questions only he cares about." I responded.

"Why are you still here?" Damon asked my boyfriend.

"I found a plant in Ric's box of stuff." Jeremy remarked. "He's got some wolfsbane."

"Werewolves are weak against wolfsbane." I replied. "Pretty much every mythology has them weakened by it."

Damon took it and rubbed it against Mason's skin. Note to self, do not get on Damon's bad side.

"Why is Veronica here?" Damon inquired.

"She's here with me." Mason answered. "She said that she wants to get married."

"Mason, I hate to break it to you, but there's one person that Ronnie loves and you're not Stefan." Damon declared. "That slut will only rip your heart out. Allow me to do it first."

Okay, I didn't expect Damon to literally reach into his chest and rip his heart out. Now that was just flat out disgusting. I held Jeremy close.

Taylor's POV

Bonnie had arrived and she and Caroline had set up the chains around me. I hoped this would work. They slowly lowered me into the well.

I first wrapped the chain around Stefan so they could pull him up.

"I want to get you next." Caroline called down.

"I'm getting the moonstone." I replied as I noticed a wooden box. Suddenly something bit me. I felt faint. I think it was a snake. There were a lot of snakes. Caroline pulled me up as I clutched the box. I could barely breathe.

"Snake bit me." I managed to get out. Suddenly I had a mouth full of Caroline's blood. After a few seconds, I began to feel better and looked at Stefan. He was badly burned. I had to feed him some more of my blood.

I went home and found that Jenna was cooking with Elena and Alaric. Anna was watching _America's Next Top Model_ for some reason.

Ashley's POV

I was back downstairs with Caroline and my mom as Caroline recapped her day. I didn't want to tell her about Mason.

"Am I freaking you out?" Caroline asked.

"You've become this person." Mom commented.

"Don't say it." Caroline replied.

"No, it's a good thing. You're strong and not just physically." Mom continued.

"Thank you." Caroline responded.

"You don't have to take my memories away." Mom declared. "I can keep the secret. If you're worried about them, you can say that you compelled me. I don't want to do anything to hurt you."

"It's not just about me." Caroline replied. "It's that you'll never be able to look at them the same way again. Damon was your friend. You're going to think that you were home with the flu and slept for most of the time. You don't know that I'm a vampire, that Stefan's a vampire or that Damon is one. This will take effect as soon as we get back to our house."

Caroline was crying as all the progress she made went away for the greater good.

No POV

Damon and Stefan were rolling up Mason's body as Stefan clutched the stone. Damon grabbed Mason's phone. He texted Carol to make her think that he left.

"Let's see the last number dialed." Damon said.

"Damon, don't provoke her." Stefan chided him, but Damon called anyway.

"Mason, I was wondering when I was gonna hear from you." Veronica declared.

"Sorry wrong guy." Damon replied.

"And why do you have Mason's phone?" Veronica asked in confusion.

"I killed him.' Damon said bluntly.

"What?" Veronica asked in shock.

"I surprised you and I thwarted whatever mater plan you have. I've had a pretty good day." Damon added.

"That's nice but I have a Plan B." Veronica declared. "Tell Stefan I love him."

Veronica then went through her phone.

"So I want you to wait two minutes and then stab yourself in the gut. We need to make sure that you live through this." She told the person. "Oh and I want to speak to Taylor."

Taylor's POV

"It's for you." Jenna replied.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi Taylor." Veronica responded.

"How did you get this number?" I asked in surprise.

"It's listed online." She answered. Okay that was a stupid question. "So I heard that you and Stefan were having sexy times this morning. I compelled Jenna to keep an eye on you. But that's not the only thing."

Jenna then suddenly put into a knife into herself.

We then went to the emergency room and she was quickly admitted. I don't get it. If Veronica compelled her to kill herself, why not just have slit her own throat? Did she want me to save her?

"I don't understand why you wouldn't let me heal her?" Anna remarked.

"Because Veronica could turn her. This has already happened once." I explained.

"Why would she hurt Jenna?" Jeremy asked me.

"Because I slept with Stefan." I replied. I didn't want to keep anything from them. The tears were beginning to stream down my face. "She wants us to be over for good and we're going to be."

"She won't get away with this." Jeremy told me as he hugged me.

I didn't want to do this in person. I called Stefan. He had already heard about what happened.

"Stefan, I think you should just listen to me." I responded. "Veronica's won. She wants us to break up. So, I'm breaking up with you. As long as she's around, I can't be with you. I'm know I'm a coward for not doing this in person, but it's not worth it."

No POV

"So it wasn't easy to find someone who wasn't on vervain. Normally I'm opposed to killing, but with Mason dead, I need to make an exception." Veronica remarked. "Why don't you tell me what you're gonna do?"

"I've gonna pick a fight with Tyler Lockwood." Matt droned. "And I won't stop until he kills me."

So it looks like Taylor won''t be going to the masquerade with Josh, not that anyone expected her to. Also Ashley connected with her mom and then lost it all. And finally Taylor didn't break up with Stefan in person so there was no goodbye kiss. Please don't forget to review.


	30. Masquerade

Ashley's POV

Caroline and I walked into the Grill. I knew that Josh was going to be there and Caroline was still kind of hung up on him. I don't actually know what was keeping them apart to be honest. I guess it was the Veronica thing. She wasn't actually talking to him. She was just kind of looking at him. He then began to walk over.

"Hey." He greeted her.

"I have to pee." Caroline remarked as she suddenly dragged me off to the bathroom.

"What was that?" I asked her. I've never known Caroline to be a coward.

Then out of one of the stalls walked Taylor, complete with hair in a ponytail, tank top and jean shorts…I think this is Veronica.

"Hey you two." Veronica greeted. She looked at Caroline. "I saw you with Josh. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Caroline remarked before she charged at Veronica, but she was too quick.

"What gave me away? Was it the ponytail or the shorts?" Veronica questioned.

"I know that Taylor is at home." Caroline replied. The blue necklace is kind of a giveaway too.

"Alright let's get down to business then." The doppelganger declared. "I need you two to deliver a message. Tell Stefan and Damon to give me the moonstone or I will start killing people. I don't like to get my hands dirty so I want it tonight at the masquerade ball."

That led to us going to the boarding house where we relayed the message to the brothers. Damon had handed her some blood to drink.

"She wants to do this in public." Stefan commented. "I think killing Mason really affected her. Maybe she did care about him."

"She's running scared and what she did to Jenna reeks of desperation." Damon remarked. Desperate or not, it was a bad thing.

"I don't think that we should underestimate her." I declared. "She's still dangerous."

"Can't we just give her the moonstone so she'll go away?" Caroline suggested.

"No." Damon replied. "I don't want you to even think about that because she doesn't deserve it. I'm going to kill her at masquerade ball tonight."

"You're not gonna kill her." Stefan responded.

"She deserves it Stefan." I commented.

"You're not going to kill her because I'm gonna kill her." Stefan declared. So it seemed like everyone was on the same page. "This isn't going to be easy. We're going to need all of the help we can get."

Taylor's POV

I walked behind Elena and Jeremy as they walked Jenna into the house. She was returning from the hospital and didn't remember anything. Matt was carrying some things. I was wearing a black dress that kind of revealed the red bra that I had on underneath, but it was pretty hot today.

"I'm fine." Jenna declared.

"The doctors said that you should take it easy." Elena remarked.

"You don't want to rip your stitches open and die." I said with a grin because I make inappropriate jokes.

"I'll die from embarrassment first. I can't believe that I walked into a knife. Who seriously does that and how does that even happen to someone?" Jenna asked. I wish I had been able to come up with something better.

"I probably have." I responded. I probably would considering how clumsy I was. I helped Jenna onto the couch. Elena gave Matt a hug and I frowned in jealousy, not of them, but of what they had.

"So are you not showing up tonight at the ball?" Matt asked me.

"No, I'm too depressed." I replied. "I know that I said I might go with Josh, but I'm honestly too depressed for it."

At that point, my siblings took me into the kitchen.

"So what are we gonna do about this?" Jeremy asked. "We need to retaliate."

"We can't retaliate, Jeremy." I stated. "Veronica is too smart. This was a warning and if we try to cross her, someone's gonna end up dead."

I noticed how cynical I was being, but after what happened, I didn't care. I was basically on autopilot. I wish that I could turn my humanity off like vampires do so I wouldn't have to feel anything right now.

"I'm not going to let her win." Jeremy declared. "I'll come back, but I'm going to see Ashley now."

No POV

Veronica walked into her room with some bags. She was meeting someone. After the old woman left, her friend stepped out of the shadows.

"Hey, Ronnie." An African-American women declared.

"Hi, Lucy." Ronnie told her. "I was thinking that you wouldn't show up. I need a date to this party I'm going to."

"What kind of party is it?" Lucy questioned, pulling out a mask.

"It's a masquerade."

Ashley's POV

I let Bonnie into the boarding house. I think that everyone was here now.

"I'm glad you're here." I remarked.

"I got Stefan's message. What's going on?" Bonnie asked. I really hoped that she wouldn't be a judgmental bitch here.

"We're gonna kill Veronica." Jeremy stated as he walked by with a box of stuff. Anna and Alaric were also here. Elena wanted to stay out of it. We were doing all of this without telling Taylor, but she wouldn't be there, so it would be okay.

"I can explain." Stefan remarked. I looked at him with a smile on my face. I know it wasn't funny, but it kind of was. "We're gonna kill Veronica."

Alaric was busy explaining how his weapons worked. We needed to make sure that we didn't screw this up.

No POV

In her room, Veronica had put her hair down and was beginning to curl it.

"So why did you become a blonde?" Lucy asked in confusion.

"I'm impersonating my girly to the core doppelganger Taylor." The vampire replied.

"Isn't it too risky to pretend to be her in front of the town?" Lucy questioned.

"No, the only ones who know the difference are her friends. It's not like my existence is common knowledge." Veronica pointed out. "This is for some charity and everyone will be wearing masks."

"Are sure this moonstone even exists?" Lucy inquired.

"I carried it for 374 years. I know it exists." Veronica declared. "I need your help to get it back."

"Why did you get rid of it?" Lucy asked curiously.

"He was on my tale and I needed to get out." The blonde explained. I parted with it in exchange for my plan to go through. I could use it as more bargaining, but what I need you to help me get it. I'm pretty sure someone will try to kill me tonight. I need you to link me to my doppelganger in a way that will protect both of us from being killed."

Ashley's POV

I was with Stefan as he tried to convince Bonnie to help it wasn't working,.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked Bonnie. "For someone who hates vampires, why are you so opposed to killing one that is a criminal impersonator, murderer, and werewolf-fucker, and all-around bitch?"

"I guess I could cast a spell to trap her." Bonnie replied. I was glad that I got through to her. Maybe there was hope for her.

"Yeah, we can get her away from everyone and no one will know."

Taylor's POV

At home, I was still the third wheel to Elena and Matt. I wish that we had a pool. I wanted to build a pool in the backyard. That will give me something to do that doesn't involve vampires.

"So are you two still going?" I asked them. "Alaric will be here and we'll be watching some reality TV."

"No, I really want to go the dance." Matt replied. "There's something that I need to do there anyway. Have fun here."

"What are you doing?" I asked curiously.

"I just need to talk to Tyler and be there for my best friend." Matt explained.

"And dance with me." Elena added.

"You and Stefan will get back together." Matt told me.

"I don't want to talk about it." I explained.

Ashley's POV

We were just about ready. We just needed to go over everything.

"Are you sure that you don't want me there tonight?" Alaric asked.

"No, you make the most sense for watching Jenna." I told him. "You're her boyfriend and she's not going so ergo you're the perfect candidate."

"And keep an eye on Taylor." Stefan added. "This is the last chance for anyone to back out."

"Barbie?" Damon asked Caroline.

"I'm not quitting." Caroline declared. "She killed me so fair is fair. But let's get something clear. Just because you're my date doesn't mean I'm gonna dance with you."

"As long as Tyler doesn't kill anyone, he won't be a werewolf." Jeremy declared.

"What about you, Anna?" Stefan asked. "Veronica was your friend."

"That went away when she sold my mother out, twice." Anna replied. "I'm just upset that you guys won't let me be the one who kills her."

That night we walked into the Lockwood house. I had one a blue dress with a full-face mask. It had a skeleton theme to it. What surprised me most was Anna had ditched her Goth look for a red dress with white straps and a blue stripe on it. There were a lot of guys playing with fire at the event, which honestly made me kinda of nervous.

No POV

Veronica walked wearing a sexy black dress with a red mask. She managed to find Matt, who was alone while Elena was in the restroom. He was surprised to see her.

"Taylor, I thought you said that you weren't coming." He remarked.

"I decided to show up after all." Veronica declared. "Now tell me what you're gonna do."

"I'm gonna get Tyler drunk and pick a fight and I won't stop until he kills me." Matt droned.

"Good boy. Now shoo." She told him.

Ashley's POV

I walked upstairs with Jeremy and Bonnie. We were looking for a room to cast the spell in. There was one at the top of the house where no one seemed to go. I don't know what the Lockwoods used it for. We had a bag of weapons while Bonnie took out a giant book.

"Is that the spell book that I read about?" Jeremy asked.

"It belonged to my ancestor Emily." Bonnie explained.

"She hasn't been possessing you lately, has she?" I asked.

"No." Bonnie answered. "This spell is the same as the tomb spell but it will only last for the duration of the party. No vampire who enters this room will be able to leave."

Taylor's POV

Alaric and I were with Jenna, who was medicated out of her mind. At least there was pizza, even though they forgot my cheesy bread.

"So have you thought about becoming a doctor like your father?" Alaric asked me.

"I don't want to be in school that long." I explained. "My aunt Casey is 28 and just finishing her doctorate."

"I didn't know you had another aunt." He remarked.

"She's at Harvard. She's trying to get residency here after she graduates." I explained. "She's my dad and John's sister."

"So where's Jeremy?" I asked Jenna after Ric went to open some wine.

"He went to the masquerade with Ashley."

"I didn't know that they were going." I commented.

"They need to have fun while they can because it doesn't seem like they'll be having much soon."

"I need to get some napkins." I replied as I went to talk to Ric. "I didn't know that Jeremy and Ashley were going to the masquerade. I want you to tell what's happening."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well Anna is also at the masquerade and I haven't heard from anyone all day." I explained. "Why is everyone avoiding me?"

His phone buzzed and he pocketed it before I could see who it was.

"So you wouldn't object if I headed to the party?" I asked.

"That's not a good idea." He said.

"Okay, I know I've kept things from people, but this isn't fair." I declared.

"Stefan asked me to keep an eye on you." He admitted. "He thinks Veronica might be at the party."

"Now Stefan is there too?" I asked, feeling hurt. "I want more answers."

"I think you should drop it, Taylor." He told me.

No POV

On the Lockwood lawn, Stefan noticed Veronica

"Hello, Lover." She purred. "I think it's time you danced with your girlfriend."

"I'd rather not." Stefan said to her "Why don't you go bother someone else?"

"Okay, I'll bother and I'll kill." Veronica threatened. She was very good at hiding it. She didn't know why she was unable to kill people unless she was turning them. Stefan bought her threat and took her to the dance floor. "You're such a good dance."

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Well there are two things that I want. I want the moonstone and I want to fuck you." The blonde explained. "It doesn't have to be in that order. You know Jenna is pretty lucky. I guess we know why Taylor is so clumsy."

"I don't want anyone to get hurt tonight." Stefan explained.

"Looks like we have something in common then." Veronica replied. "I've actually decided that I want the stone first."

A girl walked up to them and Taylor grabbed her.

"Go get the moonstone or I'll kill her right now." Veronica declared. Stefan ran off. She then whispered into the girl's ear. "_Leave this party and this town._"

Taylor's POV

"I'm going to bed." I told Jenna and Ric as I clutched my car keys. I would sneak out the door while they weren't looking. I needed to head to that ball now.

Ric managed to catch me.

"I believe your bedroom is upstairs." He told me. I frowned and went up. Once I got in my room. I opened my window and grabbed some sheets. I needed to make sure that I don't fall and break my arm again. This is not a time to be clumsy. I made it out and got in my car and began to drive to the Lockwood mansion.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were dancing when I heard his phone go off in his pocket. That was the signal for to do my part. I didn't have my phone. I had realized the full-face mask was a terrible idea and ditched it.

"Wish me luck." I told him.

I found Veronica talking to some woman.

"Taylor." I said to her. They both looked at me. "Could I talk to my friend alone?"

"What is it Ashley?" Veronica questioned. "How's the baby?"'

"I have a message from Stefan." I declared. "He and Damon have the moonstone over by the lake."

"Why did they send you?" Veronica questioned.

"Because they know you're not looking to kill anyone tonight." I replied. "They also know that you're not heartless enough to hurt me."

I was about to send a text Jeremy's phone when I was suddenly grabbed and pulled into the bushes. I looked at there was Taylor.

"Et tu, Ashley?" She remarked. I needed to send the signal to Caroline. "What are you texting?"

"Taylor, I can't get into this right now." I said as Anna appeared beside us.

"If we ever do this again, someone needs to give her morphine." Anna told me.

"I'm allergic." I explained. "I nearly died when I was 10. Are you seriously trying to kill her here? This is an insanely bad idea. Someone could get hurt."

"Jenna already has gotten hurt." Anna pointed out. "This bitch has ruined most of our lives and we need to take her down."

No POV

Veronica had dragged Caroline upstairs by her hair.

"Tell me which room they're in!" The blonde in the black dress yelled.

"That one." Caroline declared, pointing in front of her. Veronica walked in and saw that Bonnie wasn't inside. "I did it. I tricked you."

Veronica charged at her, but found herself unable to leave.

"Bye Ronnie." Caroline declared as Stefan came out and then Damon shot a stake into her back.

Taylor's POV

I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my back.

"What the fuck?" I asked as I fell to my knees.

"What's happening?" Ashley asked.

"A linking spell." Anna replied. "Ashley I need you to rush upstairs and get them to stop."

At that point, my arm suddenly started bleeding. Ashley started running.

"You need to drink this." Anna instructed as she held out her bleeding wrist. I didn't hesitate and did so. Jeremy and Bonnie ran over.

Ashley's POV

I ran upstairs and found Stefan and Damon just as they planned to stake her.

"Stop! If you kill her, you'll kill Taylor." I yelled.

"Oh, I know a witch too." Veronica declared. "I need an incentive for you two to keep me alive."

"You're sick." Stefan replied.

"I gave you two a gift that neither of you ever thanked me for" Veronica argued. "I'm not going to kill Taylor. Despite the fact that I don't like you dating her, I don't have anything against her."

I decided to go back down and found that Anna was no longer there.

"So there's a witch linking the two of them." I explained to Bonnie and Jeremy.

"I know who it is. I have to see if I can get her to remove the spell." Bonnie declared.

"Are you okay?" I asked Taylor. I guess it was good that she showed up or we might not know about this until it was too late.

No POV

Anna was walking by an open door when she realized that Matt was coming at Tyler. He was acting like he was compelled. She realized that Veronica must have done it and was trying to get Tyler to trigger her gene.

"Break it up." She said, standing in between the two of them. Tyler had no idea who she was, but she pushed Matt against the wall, just hard enough to knock him out.

"Matt failed." The other girl murmured. "If Matt fails, I can't."

Suddenly the girl stabbed Tyler with a letter opener. He reactively flipped her over, hitting her neck on the desk. Anna heard a crack.

"No, Sarah, wake up." Tyler shook her. He seemed like he was in denial.

"She's dead, Tyler." Anna explained. At that point, she noticed that Tyler's eyes glowed yellow.

In the room, Stefan came to a realization.

"You bargained the moonstone to George in exchange for him letting you go." He stated.

"You know I've always loved how you were the smart brother." Veronica explained. "It would have worked if not for the fact that people found out I wasn't in the tomb. You weren't supposed to open it."

"You stole the moonstone from someone." Stefan deduced. "You wanted to fake your death because you were running from someone. You changed your name from Verena Bauer to Veronica Billings. You wanted to cover your tracks. There is someone looking for you."

"I followed you to a lot of places." Veronica responded, avoiding the question. I was waiting for the right time. You see I have a dark secret. Maybe some time when we're alone, I'll tell you."

"Ronnie." A voice interrupted them. It was Lucy. "I broke the spell on this room. You're free to leave and I got the moonstone."

Veronica went to take it and suddenly felt a huge migraine before she fainted.

"What about…?" Stefan asked.

"I unlinked her and Taylor." Lucy explained.

Elsewhere in the house, Anna covered for Tyler telling that it was accident

"Why did you cover for me? I don't even know you." Tyler pointed out to her.

"My name is Anna." The vampire said. "I'm sorry for wanting to do a good deed. This was an accident. It was even self-defense since she attacked you."

"You don't know what this means." Tyler declared.

"I get what that means." Anna argued. "You killed someone and it will cause you grief, but you can't let this control you. How's your shoulder?"

Tyler opened his shirt and noticed there was no wound anymore.

Taylor's POV

I was feeling better finally. Stefan told me that Damon was putting Veronica in the tomb. I guess that was a fitting punishment for her. Maybe they would let her out in 145 years. I was currently with my brother and best friend.

"So are you going to be okay to make home on your own?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Anna's blood healed me." I explained as I watched Jeremy drive off. I know that I can't wait to see Stefan tomorrow. Maybe I'll even surprise him tonight. I began to walk toward my car when I was suddenly grabbed from behind and a rag was put in front of my face: chloroform. I couldn't do anything as I fell unconscious into their arms.

If you guessed Anna would be with Tyler, you were right. Also Veronica is physically unable to kill anyone unless it's for the purpose of turning them into a vampire. How did that come about? Next episode will be the Great Taylor Rescue. Please don't forget to review.


	31. Rose

Ashley's POV

I met Jeremy at the school. I left early because I was avoiding the fact that Caroline had let Damon into the house. The school was a little weird. People were mourning Sarah's death, and this girl named Aimee Bradley was missing. I can't confirm that she's dead, but it's most likely.

"So have thought at all about what you want to name the baby?" I asked.

"I'm terrible at names. I named my dog Spot." Jeremy pointed out. "Why don't we just name her after your mom and call her Beth?"

That actually wasn't a bad idea, but then I got a better idea.

"I think Miranda would work better." I proposed. "Would you be okay with that?"

"There's Stefan." Jeremy remarked. It seemed like it was a bit of a sore subject. I would wait a while before bringing it up again. We walked over to where he was.

"Hey Jeremy, Ashley." He greeted us.

"Taylor has to know if I need to cover for her." Jeremy remarked. "It's great that you two are back together. Jenna's cool with it, but she's kind of pushing it.

If Taylor slept over at the boarding house, wouldn't she be with Stefan.

"We're not back together." Stefan stated. "We only talked over the phone last night."

"So you don't know where she is?" I asked. "Jeremy said that her bed hadn't been slept in."

"Mrs. Lockwood said that her car was still in the driveway." Jeremy added. Wait a minute. This sounded very bad.

Taylor's POV

I was being carried by an unknown man in a hat in and sunglasses into a large but empty house. My hands and feet were tied. I need to try to make sure that this is the last time that I get kidnapped.

"Let me go!" I shouted. I would be kicking and screaming but I couldn't kick, so I was just screaming. He took off his hat and sunglasses and jacket and untied me. I hope that he wasn't planning to rape me. The first thing that I did was try to kick him.

"There's no need for any of that, Sweetheart." He said as he grabbed my leg. He had a British accent. "You know that dress is kind of bloody, but you have no wounds. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you've been drinking. You know you could become a vampire quite easily."

"Trevor!" A British woman with short hair shouted. "We are not doing that."

I decided that if they weren't going to let me go, I was going to annoy the fuck out of them, so they be begging me to leave.

"You're such a buzzkill." Trevor remarked before he walked out.

"Why do you have me here?" I asked.

"You look just like her." The woman commented. Oh great, it was someone else who wanted me because I looked like Veronica.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not Veronica." I stated haughtily. "So what's your name?"

"Rose." She answered. "And I know you're Verena Bauer. Now be quiet."

"Why did you kidnap me?" I asked.

She then slapped me to the ground. Okay, that hurt.

"I said be quiet." Rose ordered.

I rubbed my cheek. I was glad that I was still conscious. I made sure to zip my lips.

No POV

Anna looked around the school. She wasn't even sure why she came. She noticed the makeshift memorial for the girl that she didn't know and honestly didn't care about.

"Anna?" Tyler interrupted her thoughts. "I wanted to thank you for last night."

"How are you?" She asked.

"I'm not good." Tyler answered.

"Well obviously not." Anna agreed. "I don't know why I even asked."

"How did you know?" Tyler asked.

"Excuse me?" She replied to the werewolf.

"How did you know about me?" He clarified. "This is like the third conversation that we've ever had and the first I was drunk and only half-remember."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Anna lied. "Look, I wanted to help you, but I don't know what you're talking about. I covered for you because it was the right thing to do, but as you've said, we've only talked three times and I don't know anything about you."

Taylor's POV

I pretended to sleep while I heard Trevor and Rose talking. I wanted to know why I was kidnapped by two British vampires. I heard them talking about some guy named Elijah. I got up and walked closer. Trevor apparently wanted to leave me here. I needed to find out where here was. Rose said that she didn't want to run anymore and I now I wanted to know who they were running from. They were trying to make a deal with Elijah and I think it involved me. I stepped on a floorboard and Rose noticed me.

"You!" She shouted. "We are in the middle of nowhere. There is no way that you are getting out of this house."

I happened to notice that there weren't wearing rings, or any jewelry, so if I could get out, I might have a chance. The only problem was I didn't know where I was and I didn't even have my phone, so there wasn't really a point.

"Who's Elijah?" I asked.

"He's your worst nightmare, eavesdropper." Rose told me icily. Well I could tell this was going to be fun.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were in Alaric's classroom with Bonnie and Elena. Bonnie had a knife and a map of the US

"How does this work?" I asked.

"I'll use Jeremy's blood for the energy for the tracking spell." Bonnie explained. "It would also work with Elena since both of you are Taylor's cousins."

"Alaric said we have ten minutes." Stefan announced as he entered the room and closed the door. "I've got weapons."

Bonnie cut Jeremy's palm and some of the blood fell on the map before it moved to a remote location in North Carolina.

"That's at least three hundred miles away." Jeremy pointed out.

"That's not good enough. Can you get a more exact location?" Stefan requested.

"It's the best I can do." Bonnie replied.

"How about you look up the latitude and longitude via Google Earth and we can find out what's there." Elena remarked.

"Okay, you guys do that." Stefan replied. "Damon and I will start driving."

"I want to come with." Jeremy responded.

"No you're not. We don't know what we're up against and you could get seriously hurt or killed." Stefan stated. He has a ring though. "And no that ring is not good enough reason."

At that point Damon came into the room with Caroline.

"You're going?" I asked my sister.

"Of course I am." Caroline explained. "Three against one increases our odds."

No POV

Tyler was playing basketball with some guys, including Josh, while Anna watching from close by. Tyler jumped up and dunked despite the hoop being ten feet high.

"Do you know that girl?" He asked Josh, referring to Anna.

"I know her name is Anna James, and she's a family friend of the Gilberts." Josh answered, trying to think of a good reason that the vampire was living with them. "She's staying with them right now."

Tyler walked off, leaving the other guys confused and appeared in front of the Goth girl.

"Well hello to you." Anna declared. "Could I have some personal space?"

"You lied to me." Tyler replied. Anna hated that werewolves had that ability.

"I wasn't lying." Anna stated. "I'm sorry about Sarah, but I think maybe you should leave me alone."

She tried to walk away, but he grabbed her and she effortlessly pushed him away.

"How did you do that?" He asked her in extreme confusion as he held his arm in pain. "How are you stronger than me?"

"It's simple self-defense, now take a hint and leave me alone." Anna ordered.

"You know something and I want to know what it is." Tyler demanded.

Anna walked away and he didn't try to touch her again.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were in my room as began to check the map.

"There's nothing there except for this old house." Jeremy stated.

"Then I'm guessing that she's in the old house." I told him. "You need to send it to Stefan. So, I'm not sure, but I think Caroline may be hooking up with Damon again."

"Well maybe Damon will be good to her this time. I've heard these tabloids saying Chris Brown and Rihanna might get back together." Jeremy opined. "And don't forget that she can kick his ass right back."

Taylor's POV

"Why did you kidnap me?" I asked Rose.

"You keep asking like I'm going to answer them." Rose replied.

"Well I am going to ask until you do answer them." I rebutted.

"Why don't you shut up?" Rose questioned as she began covering the windows. "I can tell you're definitely related to Verena. She had a mouth too. I don't want anything with you. I am delivery service: the middleman."

"So you want to hand me over to Elijah." I deduced. "Who is he? I'm guessing he's also a vampire."

"He's one of _the _vampires." Rose explained. "The Originals?"

"The Originals?" I mimicked.

"Have Stefan and Damon not been teaching you any of the vampire history?" She asked in irritation.

"You know Stefan and Damon?" I asked in disbelief.

"I know of them." Rose corrected. "A friend of mine once tried to set me up with Stefan. She said that he was very good in bed and I think you could probably tell me about that, but I like bad boys like Damon."

"Who are the Originals?" I asked.

"Is it not completely obvious?" She responded. "They're the first vampires from which all other vampires and descended from. Trevor and I have been running for over 500 years and we want it to stop. That is where you come in. I want to make a deal with Elijah."

"Why is it me?" I inquired.

"Because you're a Bauer doppelganger." Rose explained. What that supposed to be something special? "You are the key to breaking the curse."

"The Sun and Moon Curse?" I questioned.

"If you want to call it that, sure." Rose said. "At least you're not an airheaded blonde."

"I thought the moonstone was what breaks the curse." I replied.

"The moonstone binds the curse. The sacrifice of the doppelganger breaks the curse." Rose told me. "You are the one who has to die."

No POV

Anna walked into the house after school. She knew that Elena was with Bonnie and Jeremy was with Ashley and Jenna should have been with Ric. She put her bag down and the first thing that she noticed was Tyler.

"Okay, this is stalking." Anna stated. "Get out now before I call the cops."

"I know." He declared ominously.

"You broke into my house." Anna replied. "Okay, it's not my house, but I live here and I can ask you to leave."

"Keep dodging." Tyler instructed. "But I know what you are."

"What am I?" Anna asked, trying to keep her cool.

"I know how strong you are." Tyler continued. "I want to hear you say it."

"Say what?" She questioned.

"You're a werewolf." Tyler declared.

At that point, Anna couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter.

"What?" She asked

He then pushed her against the wall.

"Enough lying!" He shouted.

She then pushed him against a wall her and bore her fangs to him as her eyes turned red.

"I'm not a werewolf." Anna declared. "I'm a vampire."

Taylor's POV

"Tell me more." I demanded as Trevor showed up.

"Looks like we caught a wild one." He quipped. "What do you want to know, Sweetheart?"

"Who are you from?" I asked him.

"The Originals: we pissed then off centuries ago." Trevor answered before Rose glared at him. "Well I pissed them off and they consider her guilty by association. They want us dead."

"What did you do?" I inquired.

"He made the same mistake your boys did. He trusted Verena Bauer." Rose explained.

"Ronnie." I muttered. Well I could see that she was always a bitch.

"She was the first Bauer doppelganger before she turned." Rose added.

"I helped her escape and now we are trying to fix it." Trevor replied.

"And we're not making the same mistake again." Rose told him.

Ashley's POV

"Jeremy, I know we have other things to worry about, but we need to talk about. Do you want to name our baby after your mom?"

"I don't know, okay." He replied. "I don't know if I want to be reminded of my mom every day."

"Well we have plenty of time." I admitted. "It's not even April yet and I'm not going to have the baby until the beginning of August.

Taylor's POV

I took a seat. I was bored. I had been kidnapped and I was I bored. I couldn't believe it.

"Does the shower work in this house?" I asked Trevor.

"I wouldn't count on it." He answered. "I imagine that no one has paid the water bill in years."

After a few minutes, Rose was beginning to pick up her things.

"He's here." Trevor announced hastily. "Elijah's here. I need to get out of here."

"I'm getting us out of this. You have to trust me." Rose told him.

"No, he wants me dead." Trevor shouted.

"He wants her more." Rose argued. I didn't seem to have a say.

"I'm getting out of here. I'm getting the hell out of here." Trevor replied frantically.

"Trevor, control yourself." Rose ordered as she slapped him. "We're family."

There was a knock at the door. I could notice that Trevor was trembling.

"Stay with her." Rose told him. I couldn't exactly run away.

A few minutes later, Rose returned with a man in a suit. I imagine that he was Elijah. He looked surprised and rushed in front of me, carefully inspecting me. I thought he was going to kiss me, but he sniffed my neck, though he didn't bite it.

"She's human." Elijah noted. "Hello, my dear."

I stood in fear of him.

"Now where should I take you?" He mused. I don't know if I could annoy him. "Perhaps Australia. I just have something that I need to do first."

He walked over to Trevor.

"So tell me, Trevor, what is it you wish? Do you want to not have to run anymore?" He asked.

"Yes." Trevor declared.

"As you wish." Elijah declared before suddenly slapped Trevor's head clean off.

"You." Rose cried.

"I told you I would give your freedom." Elijah said. "Don't make me change my mind."

"Don't you need the moonstone?" I asked hastily.

"Do you know where it is?" He asked.

"I can help you get it." I replied.

"It doesn't work like that." I proposed. I don't know if this was smart, but it was what I was going with.

"Why are you wearing vervain?" He asked before he snatched my necklace and threw it to the floor. "Now tell me where the moonstone is."

"It's underneath Fell's Church." I droned.

"Why is it there?" He inquired.

"It's with Veronica Billings." I murmured. I heard a crash that snapped me out of my trance.

"What is that?" Elijah asked.

"I don't know." Rose answered. "I didn't tell anyone about this."

Elijah grabbed me and took into the foyer. I heard a vampire running. Had Stefan and Damon found me? A stake flew into his hand, but he pulled it out, not showing any pain. During the diversion, Caroline had grabbed me. I didn't expect her to be here.

"Whoever it is, you're delusional if you think you can beat me." Elijah declared. "You can't."

A fight broke out and it ended with Damon plunging a broken coatrack into Elijah, pinning him to a door. Rose looked utterly shocked. She ran off very quickly.

"Let her go." I explained. "Just take me home."

I jumped into Stefan's arms as we went out to Caroline's car. I sat in the back with Stefan. I still was surprised that she had come.

Ashley's POV

I had fallen asleep. I was awoken by some gentle shaking. It was Jeremy.

"Caroline called and said that they found her." He explained. "I was going to go home and wait."

"Okay." I replied with a yawn. "I love you."

"I love you too." He replied before he gave me a kiss before I fell back asleep.

Taylor's POV

I walked into my house. I basically just wanted to go to sleep at this point. Stefan had walked me to my door along with Damon. I decided that I would talk to Damon first.

"Thanks for coming." I told him. "I know I'm one of your only friends, but I hope that's all you want to be."

"Stefan had Lexi before I killed her." Damon explained. What did that have to do with anything? "I don't want to be any more than your friend. I found this."

He presented me with my necklace.

"Thank you." I told him. "Good night Damon."

"See you." He replied before I went inside. Stefan was in the living room.

"I love you." I declared. "Maybe if we hadn't broken up, I wouldn't have been captured. So is there any chance that I can get you to tell my more vampire history some time? I mean not tonight, but some time?"

"Sure." He remarked. "I love you too. I can stay over if you want."

"No, I just want to go to bed." I replied. "We can kiss in the morning."

I went upstairs and saw Anna. She was already dressed for bed.

"So Tyler found out that I was a vampire." She remarked. "I didn't tell him about the others."

"I had a long day and I just want to sleep right now." I responded through some yawns. "We need to get you your own bed sometime. Just be careful."

I didn't even take my dress off and just got into bed where I fell asleep.

So what do you think about the baby being named Miranda? Do you like it? And Caroline came along for the ride while Ashley thinks she likes Damon unaware of what's really going on. Please don't forget to review


	32. Verena

No POV

The year was 1490 in Germany. Verena Bauer was on a bed in labor. She pushed through the deep pain with her mother as midwife as her little brother watched.

"_Push Darling." Her mother instructed in German. _

"_I am pushing." Verena declared as her father entered the room._

"_It's a girl." Her mother declared._

"_A girl?" Her father asked in rage. "Not only do you shame me with debauchery, but you couldn't even bear a son. The baby will be sent away and you will be exiled."_

"_Father, please just let me hold her once." The blonde girl requested. _

"_No." Her father declared as he took the baby away. She was still in the pain from her labor. "You have two hours to leave."_

Taylor's POV

I knocked on the door of the Salvatore house with Anna beside me. Ashley was unable to make it because of a doctor's appointment. I had a simple red dress with my hair extra-curly and matching red earrings and heels.

"Hello, Taylor, friend of Taylor's." Damon greeted us.

"Seriously?" Anna asked in annoyance.

"Is Stefan here? He said that he had something he wanted to talk about." I questioned.

"Yup." Damon answered as we stepped inside.

"Where's Ashley?" Stefan inquired as he saw us.

"She couldn't make it." I explained. "I'll make sure to give her the SparkNotes."

I then noticed Rose.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" I asked angrily.

"Taylor, you need to calm down." Stefan replied.

"Calm down, she fucking kidnapped me." I pointed out, before I noticed Anna standing beside me. "And she didn't apologize for it."

"She has important information about the Originals." Damon explained. We took a seat in the living room.

"So, most of this stuff I've heard is legends, but I know for a fact that Klaus is real." Rose replied. She hadn't exactly explained who Klaus was. Was he one of the Originals?

"I could have told you that." Anna commented.

"You've met Klaus?" Rose asked in surprise.

"It was a little over a hundred years ago in New Orleans." Anna remarked. "I really don't know anything about him."

"Who is Klaus?" I inquired.

"He's one of the Originals." Damon replied.

"He's the oldest vampire ever." Stefan added.

"No, his brother Elijah is the oldest ever, but I think there might be even older ones or maybe they're all the same age." Anna refuted.

"Elijah is dead." Damon responded. "I know because I killed him with a banister."

"You can't kill an Original." Anna stated.

"I thought you said that you didn't know anything about them." I remarked.

"I know that Elijah is Klaus's older brother and they can't be killed. That's it." She told us.

"Anyway, Klaus is coming here." Rose continued. "If he knows anything about you that is."

"So what am I supposed to do about this?" I inquired.

"Nothing. Klaus wants to break the curse and he will." Rose replied. "You are going to die in the sacrifice as soon as he performs it. If Elijah is alive like this one says she is, then he'll probably tell Klaus about you."

"Is there anyone else who knows him?" I questioned.

"Verena Bauer." Rose answered.

"Well I guess we won't be finding that out." Damon commented. I would have to find some way to talk to her.

"I need to get to school." I declared as I grabbed Anna and pulled her out the door. I began to walk towards Fell's Church."

"School's that way." She pointed out.

"We're not going to school." I explained. "We're going to pay my evil twin a visit."

Ashley's POV

The thing about having a 7:00 a.m. is that I don't miss any school. I was with Jeremy, dressed in a tunic and white jacket with ripped jeggings after not being able to hang out with Taylor this morning. I noticed Bonnie had dropped some of her books. I don't know why she didn't have a bag for that.

"Go help her." I told Jeremy. We walked over. I wasn't sure if I should do much bending.

"Where's Taylor?" Bonnie asked.

"She's…I don't know." I admitted. "But we're pretty sure that she didn't get kidnapped again. You know I'm glad that you stopped being such a bitch."

"That's a weird thing to say to someone." Bonnie commented.

"So do you want to hang out with us later?" Jeremy asked.

"Why?" Bonnie inquired.

"Well I think you've been excluded a lot lately except for when we need a witch and I thought we could do something fun for the three of us. You won't be the third wheel."

"Sure." Bonnie agreed. "But the moment you two ditch me to start making out, I'm gone."

"Excuse me." Some new guy interrupted. "Do you guys know which way is the office?"

I could tell that he was new due to his lack of the word y'all.

Jeremy gave some directions that I wasn't sure that I understood and I knew how to get to the office.

"You must be new here." Jeremy commented.

"Yeah, I'm Luca." The new guy replied.

"I'm Jeremy. This is Bonnie and my girlfriend Ashley." He introduced.

"Hi Bonnie." He greeted her flirtatiously. He's not wasting any time.

"You know, I'm headed to the office. You're welcome to follow me." Jeremy offered. I'm pretty sure that Jeremy didn't need to go to the office unless it was to get a hall pass to help me with my stuff. I basically had an extra ten minutes to get to class now because of some anti-discrimination thing. I thought it rocked.

Taylor's POV

I walked with Anna near the church.

"Just tell everyone that I went home." I suggested to her.

"Why are you doing this again?" She asked.

"Because I need some answers and this seems like the best place to get them." I stated. 'There's a brand new dress in it for you."

"How am I supposed to keep Stefan from looking for you?" She asked. "Why don't you just talk to him, maybe if you have good communication, he'll let you do these things?"

"Can you please just distract him?" I requested. "Maybe you could talk to him about Elijah."

We went down the stairs and Anna pulled the door away. I saw that Veronica looked like a mess. It was probably something that even someone like her hated.

"What are you doing here?" She asked me. Despite looking like a zombie, so she was surprisingly sentient. I guess it was only three days. "Do you want your moonstone back or something?"

"No." I replied as she got as close to the door as she could. I could see that she had taken her dress. "I was hoping you could tell me about the Originals."

"Why not ask her?" Veronica questioned, referring to Anna.

"Because you know more about them than anyone." I responded. "I'll be fine, Anna. She can't touch me."

Anna walked away leaving me with my doppelganger.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Ronnie asked.

"Because I have food." I explained as I took out a bottle of blood. I gave her a medicine cap full. "So how does a girl from Germany wind up tangled with the world's oldest vampires?"

"I first met him in England in 1492 after I was exiled by my family. Luckily German and English were very similar and it wasn't hard to learn the language. My father was very upset that I was unable to give him a grandson." She explained. "Once I was in England, I caught the eye of a nobleman named Klaus. Of course his feelings were not mutual to mine. He knew what I was and I found out about him. I had no choice but to run from him. I'll note that it wasn't easy to do in those dresses. I don't suppose you have some pants in there or something. Luckily, I was able to convince someone to help me."

"So Klaus wanted to sacrifice you to break the curse?" I asked.

"Yes." She answered. "I needed to take matters into my own hands, so I decided to kill myself so he couldn't have me, only I was unsuccessful."

"If you were the first Bauer doppelganger, does that mean there was another girl that looked like us a long time ago?" I asked.

"It was long before I was born. I don't know the implications, but you and I are supernatural beings, before I even turned. The doppelganger was created by accident as a loophole to the spell."

"How were you unsuccessful in killing yourself?" I questioned.

"This vampire named Rose gave me her blood and left some rope to tie me up with. I didn't know how a person became a vampire and I decided to hang myself." She continued. "I wanted to die."

"If you wanted to die then why did you complete the transition?" I inquired. Her motivations so far were confusing me.

"I didn't know what I was getting into." She explained. I was just really hungry for blood and I took the first chance I had to have some. I then realized that I had been given a gift, a second chance at life."

"So you just abandoned Rose and Trevor?" I asked.

"You've met them." Veronica deduced. "You know I think it's your turn to talk. What have you been up to since I have been locked in here?"

I proceeded to tell her about how I was kidnapped and my run-in with Elijah.

"He's not dead." She explained. "Originals can't be killed by a stake. Still, I'm impressed that the boys managed to take him down."

I guess I wasn't surprised by the fact that Veronica killed herself. It wasn't something that I could do, but I understood her rationale.

"How did you find out that Klaus planned on sacrificing you?" I inquired.

"I had had sex with Elijah because Klaus wasn't treating me well. It was then that I found the notes on the sacrifice. I knew I had to get out and Trevor offered me salvation." She explained. "I don't want to become a vampire, but once I was, I felt like I could elude Klaus as I have for what's going on 518 years." She explained. "But you won't take the same way that I did. I have a feeling that you would be someone interested in looking for a way to kill Klaus. You can go ahead and try, but I haven't found anything. You know I'm surprised that Rose and Trevor lasted this long. For once, I'm glad I'm in here because Rose can't kill me unless she wants to be stuck in here. You know I wouldn't hate you so much if you were with Damon."

"Damon and I are nothing more than friends." I told her. "You ruined Trevor and Rose's lives."

"They ruined their own lives." She argued. "If Rose had just let me kill myself, they wouldn't have had to run."

Ashley's POV

I had invited Caroline over so Bonnie wouldn't have to be the third wheel. I don't know who had a bigger appetite: me or her. I noticed that Anna seemed to be doing something with Stefan, which I didn't really want to ask questions about.

Bonnie and I ended up going to the bathroom together. I have to go a lot more now.

"So the new guy was checking you out." I told her.

"Don't start." She replied.

"I'm just saying that you haven't dated anyone since Ben." I remarked.

"And he turned out to be an evil vampire." Bonnie reminded me. "It's not easy for me to let my walls down."

We walked out and headed back towards our table.

"Hi, Bonnie, Ashley." Luca greeted us. He was with an older man, who was probably his father. "I'd like to introduce you two to my dad."

"Hi, I'm Bonnie Bennett and this is Ashley Forbes." The witch introduced.

"I'm Dr. Martin, Jonas." The man replied. I couldn't help but wonder what his doctorate was in. "It's nice to meet you."

"You know if you want to join them, we won't mind." I stated. I was going to set Bonnie and Luca up because I was bored.

It didn't take Bonnie long to ditch Luca in favor of playing pool with Jeremy. She was terrible. I would be playing next. I hoped my shot wouldn't be messed up. I hadn't played since I found out.

"I got winner." Luca remarked, just walking up to the table with us..

"This is my sister Caroline." I introduced to Luca. "How about you and me play when they're done?"

"Where did your dad go?" Bonnie inquired.

"He went home. I'll see him there." Luca explained.

Taylor's POV

"So do you swear that you're telling the truth?" I asked.

"I have no reason to lie to you." Veronica replied. "But if you want your witch friend to let me out, I would be happy to tell you more."

"Nice try." I told her. "So did you come back to use me to negotiate yourself freedom from Klaus? You wanted to him to sacrifice me."

"You do have a brain in that head of yours." She remarked.

"You got Mason to find the moonstone for you, but as soon as he died, you activated Tyler's curse. You need a werewolf for the sacrifice." I deduced. "What else did you do here? You turned Caroline into a vampire. You didn't do it because you were mad at Stefan. You want her to be used as well. And I bet you need a witch to cast the spell."

"And we have a winner." She replied. "If you were dead, I would be able to have Stefan to myself. You know I really want some fresh blood. How about you offer some up? Don't worry. I won't kill you."

Ashley's POV

"So what did the doctor say anyway?" Jeremy asked me as I saw Luca flirting with Bonnie some more,

"Nothing new. It was just a routine visit and everything went well." I explained. "I just hope that we manage to get through this without complications. The thing about living here is I worry for my life as well as the baby's every day. Of course my option is living with my dad and I don't want to do that."

Taylor's POV

I was getting ready to leave because Ronnie had apparently decided that she didn't feel like talking to me. She had passed up the Family history book for my copy of _The Hunger Games_ which I left a little too close to her reach. I then noticed Stefan running down the stairs.

"Did Anna tell you?" I asked.

"No, but I figured out that you never get sick." He responded. Drat. Curse my above average immune system. "Why did you come down here and why didn't you tell me you were coming down here?"

"I wanted to talk to her. You know I really didn't get much information about what I was looking for as much as I got her life story." I remarked. "We need to see if we can find some way to kill Klaus. That was the gist of it."

"We don't even know if he knows about you." Stefan pointed out.

"That doesn't mean that we shouldn't be finding a way to kill him." I responded. "Also is there any reason why we didn't kill her?"

"Damon obviously still has feelings for me." Veronica replied as she walked back out. "Oh and by the way, Klaus killed my entire family for interfering with the sacrifice. So let's hope that you're not stupid enough to do that. Go ahead and try, but other then turning into a vampire after the sacrifice, you don't have many options."

"Don't listen to her." Stefan said.'

"She's not lying Stefan. She's not even that twisted to lie about it." I remarked. "I need to find out how to kill Klaus, but I promise that I won't die in the process. If I have to get Bonnie to make special resurrection ring that will work on me, I will."

"Hmm, I pegged you for someone that would be willing to die to save your friends." Ronnie commented. That was more like something Elena would do, but we don't know if Klaus would do anything if we didn't interfere. She then held out the moonstone. "Of course you may want this."

"No, I don't want it." I replied. "Klaus will want it, but he's not here. It wouldn't be me that was preventing the sacrifice, it would be you."

Ashley's POV

"I think it's time for you to drive me home." I told Jeremy. We were still at the Grill. I wanted to watch a movie together before I had to go to sleep.

Taylor's POV

"Stefan, I want you to promise that you won't do anything stupid here. I want you to stop Damon from doing anything stupid. I don't want to stop the sacrifice. I want to stop Klaus." I said as I arrived at my house.

"Okay." He replied. "But I'm really hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me that you were going there. I don't like it when you keep secrets and I know that you don't like it when I keep secrets from you."

"Stefan, I love you more than anything. I mean aside from Ashley, I don't think there's anyone I could be without less. I don't want you to die. I know some day I will be a vampire, but right now, our goal shouldn't be that." I explained. "When Klaus comes we need to be ready."

"How about we just focus on the present for now?" Stefan suggested. "I love you."

"One more thing." I replied. "She said that the sacrifice requires a werewolf and vampire. So that means that you, Damon, Caroline, Anna, and Tyler could all be in danger."

"Just focus on the present." He repeated.

"Okay." I agreed. "I love you."

So I obviously couldn't name the chapter after a character that didn't exist. Ronnie didn't know that she would become a vampire and was exiled not because she had a child out of wedlock, but because she had a girl. Please don't forget to review.


	33. The Sacrifice

Taylor's POV

I woke up to noises in the middle of the night. I think there might have been someone in the house. I hoped that Jenna hadn't invited anymore vampires in. I decided to get up and investigate the noises, despite the fact that I wasn't wearing any pants. I heard someone behind me and blindly kicked. I fell over and then it was Ric who I had attempted to kick. Like me, he was also in underwear. He was also holding a bowl of ice cream.

"Sorry, that was us." Jenna apologized. She was wearing one of his shirts. At that moment, Anna came out of my room.

"Could you keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep." She remarked in annoyance

That led to an extremely awkward next few minutes

"Well, I'm naked, so I'm gonna go." My stepfather declared before he walked off. He was only half-naked.

"I know he's been staying over a lot, but are you sure you're okay with it?" She asked me.

"Yes." I answered. "We're gonna go back to bed."

The two of us went back into our room. I was kind of annoyed at this moment with sharing a bed with her.

"So do you think someone else was here?" I asked.

"No or I'm too tired to care." Anna replied. "You know need to stop trying to cuddle me in your sleep."

I rolled my eyes and got inside my side of the bed.

No POV

Stefan and Damon went to the tomb and removed the stone door.

"What do you want?" Veronica asked. "Are you ready to get me of here?"

"We want the moonstone." Damon declared.

"Okay, come right in and take it." She replied. "Though, I can't imagine that you'll be able to do much with it outside."

"What is it going to take for you to give it to us?" Damon asked.

"I think you know what I want." She responded.

"That's not gonna happen." Damon told her.

"You know, when Klaus comes here, he'll be very upset if he can't perform the ritual." Ronnie pointed out. "Oh well, at least I'll be safe when he goes on a killing spree. When you boys are ready to reconsider, come and see me again."

Taylor's POV

I heard the sound of someone knocking on the door in the morning and went downstairs wearing a red dress. I opened the door to find Stefan and Damon.

"Come and talk to me in the kitchen." I instructed as they proceeded to tell me about their meeting with Veronica. "You know it's kind of hypocritical that you don't want me to see me but you go and see her."

"Well, it was a waste because she wouldn't give us the moonstone." Damon replied.

"Rose's friend Slater says that we can destroy the curse by breaking the spell on the moonstone." Stefan explained.

"Why should we even trust this guy?" I challenged. "He's Rose's friend and in my book he's bad news. Besides, what happens after you break the spell? Should I start preparing for Klaus to kill you guys?"

"Taylor, we can save your life." Stefan pointed out.

"You know another way to save my life: killing Klaus." I argued. "Not to mention, you're suggesting putting my faith in some guy I've never even met. Not to mention, we don't know Bonnie can or would do it."

"She agreed to do whatever it takes to save you." Stefan replied.

"I don't want to do this." I replied. "There has to be some way to kill Klaus. He can't be completely immortal."

"We have a plan in place." Damon replied.

"How about the two of you just get out and we'll stop talking about this." I suggested. "Or I'll get out. I'm going to school."

Ashley's POV

I walked through the schoolyard with Jeremy. I was wearing a crimson and navy dress with a leather jacket, stockings and black boots. It seems like more interesting stuff happens outside the school than in it. Today was no exception as Bonnie and that new guy were creating a gust of wind. I can't help but wonder if doing magic together is kind of like sex for them.

"You know I don't appreciate you two messing up my hair like that." I stated as Jeremy and I walked over.

"I'm gonna go." Luca declared.

"So maybe you should learn a contraceptive spell." I commented to Bonnie. Bonnie and Jeremy stared at me. "What? There's nothing wrong with practicing safe sex."

Taylor's POV

I decided to skip school once again. I need to start going again soon, because I don't think Caroline wants to keep covering for me. I instead went to the boarding house. I walked in because Damon never locks the door.

"You know it's not nice to leave a girl naked in the morning." Rose remarked as she walked in wearing a bathrobe. It better have been Damon that she was sleeping with. She then noticed me. "You're not Damon."

"I know." I remarked.

"Well there's no one else here." Rose stated.

"I wanted to see you." I said. Okay, I needed to without really wanting to.

"I'm gonna get dressed." She declared. Why do I keep having these awkward run-ins with scantily clad people anyway?

Once Rose was dressed, the two of us sat down on the Salvatores' couch.

"So what can I do for you?" She asked.

"I want to see this Slater guy." I told her. "I would have a lot easier time trusting him if I actually could meet him."

"Shouldn't you be in school right now?" Rose asked me.

"Are you going to take me to Richmond or not?" I questioned.

"Why not have Stefan or Damon do it?" Rose suggested.

"Because you kidnapped me and I will continue to hold that against you until I feel the debt has been paid." I explained. "Though if you don't take me, you'll never find out what I could give you."

"You're manipulating me." She pointed out.

"What are you trying to gain from this?" Rose asked.

"Would you rather be stuck in this house all day?" I challenged. That got her interested.

No POV

Anna headed to the basketball court. Since she was the only vampire that Tyler knew about, she would basically have to be the one to make sure that his transformation went well.

"So the full moon is coming up." The Goth announced. "I need to know that you're going to be ready for this. This is a big thing for you."

"Why do you care?" Tyler inquired.

"Because I have experience with this kind of thing. Turning into a wolf is not something that you should take lightly. You need to have a plan." Anna told him.

"I do." Tyler remarked.

"Well are you going to tell me what it is?" The vampire inquired.

"It's kind of private." Tyler declared.

"Okay, but I have helped a lot of werewolves over the years. If you don't want my help, then fine." She said as she turned to walk away.

Ashley's POV

I went into the boarding house with Jeremy and Bonnie after an uneventful day of school.

"I think I can lower the tomb spell long enough for you to get in and grab the moonstone." Bonnie declared.

"Didn't it take both you and Grams to do it last time?" I questioned. "Not to mention it killed her."

"I've learned some new tricks since then." Bonnie explained. "How are you planning on getting it from her?"

"She hasn't been feeding." Stefan pointed out. "We can rush in and get it from her."

"I am the only one who thinks this is a bad idea?" I asked. "What's Klaus going to do if he finds out that destroyed the moonstone?"

"I could get it without a spell." Jeremy offered. "I have my ring."

"No." Damon and I said simultaneously. I can't believe that I agreed with Damon about something.

"Do you have anything that belongs to Veronica?" Bonnie inquired. "I might be able to make a weapon against her."

Taylor's POV

Rose and I arrived in Richmond and we began to head up a flight of stairs. The door was in pretty bad shape like all of the paint had been stripped off of it. I don't understand why someone would need to paint a door. Rose banged on the door, trying to get this Slater to answer it.

"He's not home." Rose remarked.

"Then we're breaking in." I proposed. Rose sighed and pushed the doors opened. They had been chained shut.

"You're going in first." Rose declared. I entered and she followed. We began to look around before Rose noticed something. "I don't think he's going to be much help."

I walked over to her and noticed a body with a stake in it.

"How much do you wanna bet that Elijah was behind this?" I asked as I looked through the papers on his desk. It was mostly stuff about his business.

"Well he was one of the smartest vampires around." Rose remarked. "Knowing too much just bit him in the ass."

He had a lot of monitors for some reason. I didn't think that I would ever come across a nerdy vampire. I tried to log on, but they were password protected. I could use a nerd right now.

Suddenly, we both heard someone in the house. I hope that it wasn't Elijah.

"Alice?" Rose asked. Suddenly, a young woman grabbed her, crying hysterically. I was a bit confused by this.

Ashley's POV

Stefan grabbed an old picture of Veronica. Okay, a picture of her will work too I guess.

"This belong to Veronica." He explained. What was it, a long glamor shot or something?

Bonnie took the photo and covered it with water before she proceeded to light it on fire. Ronnie is not going to like the fact that we burned her glamor shot. Bonnie appeared to cast a spell. She didn't say anything, so I don't know.

"What is this gonna do?" I asked.

"I'll blow the ashes on her and it will incapacitate her long enough for you to grab the stone and get out."

No POV

Anna and Tyler walked through the forest.

"So how old are you?" Tyler inquired.

"Don't you know it's rude to ask a girl her age?" Anna responded.

"Well, I'm trying to make conversation." Tyler replied. "There's a cellar over here that leads to our old property.

"I know." She replied as they continued walking.

"You do?" He asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I've been here before." She explained as they went down the stairs. Anna couldn't help but think that it looked like someone's BDSM chamber…not that she knew anything about that.

"I think this is where Mason was headed the night he turned." He explained.

"So what did Mason tell you about this?" She questioned.

"Nothing, he bolted before I triggered the curse." Tyler answered as she uneasily shifted behind him. "But I found a lot of old stuff. I don't think Mason was the first Lockwood to know of this place."

"I think I found something else." Anna stated, having spotted something wrapped up. She unwrapped it and found a book. She opened the book and read it a little before realizing. "I think this is Mason's diary."

"He wrote down everything." Tyler noted before he pulled out an SD card.

Ashley's POV

The plan was in motion and everything was set. Bonnie, Stefan, and Damon were all getting ready. I managed to catch Jeremy putting some of the ash in his wallet. He shushed me.

"I think I'm going to sit this one out." I replied as I went out the door. I hoped that no one would do anything stupid here.

Taylor's POV

I was pouring some coffee for Rose in the kitchen.

"How is she?" I asked.

"Overreacting." Rose answered.

"I don't think you can overreact when your boyfriend dies." I pointed out.

"Alice is an actress in local plays. She didn't care about Slater. She only was with him because she thought he'd turned her." Rose explained. Okay, then she's very good because I believed it.

I went into the other room and sat by her.

"You know, I feel like I've met you somewhere before." Alice remarked.

"No, but I heard that he had a lot of vampire contacts and I was hoping that I would be able to find out where Klaus is." I told her. That's assuming that she knows anything. I'm not sure if she does or not.

"I'm pretty sure he didn't know where Klaus is." Alice replied.

"Do you know Slater's password?" I asked.

"What would you be willing to do for it?" Alice inquired sounding….flirtatious?

"What are you implying?" I questioned nervously.

"Well, there is something that could cheer my up now." Alice declared. I noticed that Rose had a playful smile on her face. I think she was propositioning me.

"Maybe I could ask Rose to turn you instead." I offered hastily. I'm pretty sure having sex with another girl is still cheating on Stefan, which I'm not gonna do. She was a good actress.

She logged in pretty quickly.

"Everything has been wiped." Alice explained.

"It was probably whoever killed him." Rose quipped.

"Fortunately, Slater backed all of his files up." Alice replied as she went through the information.

"You know I'm not going to turn her, don't you?" Rose whispered.

"I had to think of something." I whispered back. "I can't cheat on Stefan."

"The password is Kristen Stewart." Alice stated. "We were both obsessed."

"What about that one, Cody Webber?" Rose asked. "It looks like the two of them corresponded a lot about Elijah."

"I'll call him." Alice replied.

"Tell him that I'm trying to find Klaus." I requested.

"Wait a minute. You're the doppelganger." Alice remarked. She then left the room to make the call. I had a bad feeling about this.

No POV

Veronica walked to the edge of the tomb.

"Well if it isn't the future baby daddy." She declared.

"I want the moonstone." Jeremy told her.

"I think you'll have to get in line for that one." Ronnie joked. "You have to take it from me."

Jeremy then threw the ash on her and shot a stake at her. She fell to the ground before he began to look for the stone. He searched her body and didn't find it on her. He then went deeper into the tomb to look for it and did end up finding it, but unfortunately, the ash had worn off and the vampire bit into his neck. He tossed the moonstone outside before he blacked out.

Not long after, Stefan and Bonnie entered the tomb. They looked inside and happened to find Veronica holding the youngest Gilbert.

"I'm sorry." Jeremy apologized.

"You know I can feed myself infinitely because of his ring." The blonde remarked. "I'm tempted to take it off though. I want the tomb opened and soon.

Stefan knew that he had to go in.

"Just get me out as soon as you can." He asked.

Elsewhere, Anna and Tyler took the SD card and put it into a computer. It was apparently a documentary of the transformation.

"He filmed it." Tyler replied.

Anna began to read how he did the from the following day as Tyler began to fast forward through the video. Once it began playing, the two noticed that Mason seemed to be in a lot of pain during the video.

"I can't watch anymore." Tyler replied.

"Tyler, you have to be able to deal with this." Anna told him. "I'll tell you the same thing that I told the others and you will not like the other option."

"What's the other option?" Tyler asked nervously.

"You either let me help you or I'll kill you." Anna responded.

Taylor's POV

I waited with Alice for Cody to arrive. I suddenly found myself face-to-face with Damon.

"D-Damon." I stammered.

"Rose said that you might need my help." He declared.

"Damon Salvatore, this is amazing." Alice beamed. So she's a Damon fangirl. "Are you single?"

"Get rid of her." Damon told Rose. Rose complied and he turned to me. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"No, I'm trying to find out where Klaus is." I replied. "I don't want to go to him. I need to know where he is."

"It's better than you don't know where he is because if you know where he is, he might be able to find out where you are."

No POV

Stefan went over to Veronica and tackled her which gave Jeremy enough of an opportunity to get out, but Bonnie was unable to open the tomb and passed out.

Ashley's POV

I suddenly got a phone call from Jeremy.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"I need a favor." Jeremy replied before he proceeded to tell me what happened. "So I need you to let Bonnie sleep over and tell her dad."

"Why didn't you kill her before going after the moonstone?" I asked him.

"I didn't think of that." He admitted.

"Jeremy, I love you, but you're an idiot." I told him bluntly.

No POV

Anna stood in Tyler's room as she waited for his decision. She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Okay, I'll let you help me." Tyler agreed. "I hope that death isn't the easier option."

"Considering what your mom has been through, I don't think it would be." Anna proposed. "But this is a curse. The only way to get through it is to learn to deal with it."

Taylor's POV

Before we could go, Damon decided to compel Alice. As we were planning to go, three vampires showed up and were guarding the door. It was the only exit.

"We're here for the doppelganger." One of the them who I decided was Cody declared. I held onto Damon tightly.

"You'll have to go through me first." Damon boasted.

"That won't be necessary." Elijah interrupted as he ripped the heart of one of the vampires.

Rose darted away as fast as she could. Well, she's not getting a ring now.

"Who are you?" Elijah asked Cody.

"Who are you?" Cody countered.

"I'm Elijah." The Original declared.

"We were going to bring her to you for Klaus." Cody replied uneasily.

"Does anyone else know about her?" Elijah inquired.

"No." Cody answered.

"Then you've been very helpful." Elijah remarked before he ripped Cody and the other's hearts out simultaneously. Damon stared at him before he ran off suddenly.

"Damon, I'm sorry. I made one bad decision. You make them all of the time." I explained. "Just take me home and I'll stop looking for Klaus."

He complied, but on the way there, I got a call from Elena.

"Taylor, there's something that you need to know." She told me.

"What?" I asked.

"The good news is that we got the moonstone and Jeremy's okay." My sister told me. Why was Jeremy even involved in this? "The bad news is in order to insure Jeremy was okay, Stefan had to go into the tomb and Bonnie couldn't get him out. He's stuck in there."

"I have to go." I said before I hung up on my sister. I looked at Damon. "Take me to the tomb."

I ran down and found him by the door. He was unable to cross the line.

"I'm sorry that my brother got you stuck in there." I told him. "I promise that I'll do whatever it takes to get you out."

"We have the moonstone, that's all that matters." Stefan remarked.

"No, I will find a way to get you out, even if it means letting her out too." I declared.

I decided it would be better for Taylor to make a mistake than to try to sacrifice herself. She would rather kill Klaus than die in the sacrifice and she won't be on board when finds out that Elijah has a plan that involves her dying. Plus Anna is not being subtle with Tyler. Please don't forget to review.


	34. By Light of the Moon

Taylor's POV

I looked over the moonstone while sitting in my room. It was a warm day, so I was dressed in a flowy white and Daisy Dukes. Bonnie and Elena were beside me. I think Anna was helping Tyler with his werewolf thing.

"So what do you plan on doing this?" I asked as I held the rock.

"We can break the spell on the stone, making it useless.' Bonnie explained.

"I still can't believe that you're trusting the word of a dead vampire who only talked to the woman who kidnapped me and had a crazy girlfriend that tried to sell me out to Klaus." I remarked. "Not to mention if this thing were true, if you were doing that, you would essentially be signing your own death sentence. Klaus will kill you if you do anything to interfere with the sacrifice."

"Only if he finds out." Elena pointed out.

"Has no one been listening to me? The way to save me is to kill Klaus." I asked in exasperation. "Why don't you just focus on doing that and stop doing things that will get you killed. You should have learned from the attempt to get the moonstone which I need to remind you has left me with a boyfriend in lockup with a girl who wants to fuck his brains out."

Yes, I wanted to fuck his brains out, but I'm his girlfriend, so I have the right to.

"Speaking of which, why are not trying to get him out?" I asked. "There has to be something that you can do to get him out."

"Stefan wants me to focus on doing this right now." Bonnie replied.

"How about you listen to the person who wants to do something that won't get you killed?" I suggested. Honestly, I couldn't understand why everyone was being so dumb.

"I'm taking his side. We're not letting you get used in this ritual." Bonnie remarked.

"Then stop the ritualist!" I shouted.

"What are you arguing about?" Jeremy asked, probably having vaguely heard me from his room.

"We're not arguing about anything." Bonnie answered. "I need some coffee."

Bonnie left the room and I noticed that Jeremy was staring at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Why are you on some suicide mission?" He questioned.

"Why does everything that I want Klaus to sacrifice me?" I inquired. "I just want to keep all of you alive. Veronica's story does check out. Someone did kill her family and it was probably Klaus. I'm not trying to die."

Jeremy walked out and Elena went to get in the shower. I realized that it was my chance to prevent them to doing some stupid. I reached into Bonnie's bag and pulled the stone. I put it in my own back and decided that I would take it to the safe deposit box. I started to head downstairs.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To my parents' grave." I lied. "I haven't been there in a while."

"You're lying." Bonnie declared. I probably would actually go there now.

"Why would I lie about that?" I asked in offense.

"She took the moonstone." Jeremy declared as he and Elena came downstairs with Bonnie's bag.

"It looks like you failed our test." Bonnie stated.

"Jeremy, Bonnie is the one on a suicide mission. If she casts this spell she wants to cast, Klaus will kill her…and you…and everyone. Why are you siding with her on this one?"

I tried to run out the door, but I found myself unable to exit after several tries like there was a barrier there.

"What the fuck?" I asked.

"We can't let you do anything to the moonstone." Elena declared.

I decided at that point, I would try the back door, but that was no good either. Damn it, how did she do this?

Ashley's POV

I was at home. I had just gotten out of the shower. I looked into my closet, only to find that it was empty. Why was it empty? My drawers were also empty.

"Caroline!" I shouted.

"What?" She asked innocently.

"What did you do with my clothes?" I questioned angrily. She better not be playing a prank on me.

"I washed them." She said with a smile. "But don't worry. I left you something to wear."

On my bed was a pale pink maternity dress with a white bra and panties and a pair of clear heels.

"I hate you." I muttered before I began to put them on.

"You really should have more maternity clothes." Caroline commented.

No POV

At the Grill, Anna was sitting at a table when Tyler arrived.

"Do you have the chains?" The vampire asked.

"Hello is a common greeting." Tyler said as he sat down uneasily. Anna was able to pick up on such.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "I probably won't kill you."

"This girl Mason knows stopped by." The werewolf explained. "She said that he wasn't in Florida. My mom was talking to Sheriff Forbes.

Anna was cursing inside her head. She looked over to Ric, hoping he heard that.

"We should get going." He suggested. The two got up and headed toward his family's cellar.

Taylor's POV

I was sitting on the couch watching bad reality TV when the door opened and Damon walked in. I couldn't help but wonder if he was in on this too.

"You should really lock your door." He remarked. I only glared because for some stupid reason, Bonnie had put me on house arrest.

"Do you find this funny?" I asked in irritation.

"Yes, I find it hilarious in having to save your life." Damon quipped.

"So, I made a bad decision. I've had to save you before." I reminded him. "Remember when I had to beg Lee not to kill you because you killed Lexi. Actually, screw this."

I took out my phone and called Ashley.

"Hey." She answered.

"So right now I feel like everyone is against me and my boyfriend is locked in a tomb." I explained. "So I want to talk to you."

"Do you wanna come over?" Ashley asked.

"I can't. Bonnie put me on magical house arrest because I tried to take the moonstone." I explained. "I need you to come over here."

"Okay, just promise not to laugh at what I'm wearing." She bargained.

"It can't be that bad, but I promise." I told her before I hung up.

I then noticed Damon was getting up.

"Leaving so soon?" I asked with false sincerity.

"I have some business that I need to attend to." He remarked. "Maybe you should bond with your siblings/cousins."

Damon went out the door and Jeremy jumped onto the couch. I decided to push him off. You know being a doppelganger makes me supernatural, so I can kill him.

Anna's POV

I sat in the passenger side of Tyler's truck as we arrived at the cellar. I don't know why I was really doing this. I hardly even know the guy. I guess I can't have a wolf running around. I didn't need to get involved like this. Maybe above all, he was just a scared kid. I think I have a soft spot for guys like him.

"You know Mason is probably fine." I told him. "Maybe he met a girl on the way and they fell in love."

"Could be." Tyler replied. "I don't think that I can worry about him right now. I have to deal with this."

I nodded and we went down into the cellar. I wish I could make this girl shut up, but I think if she knew Mason, she might be also be a werewolf.

Ashley's POV

I arrived at the Gilbert house. This time I wasn't here to see Jeremy. I don't know if I even wanted to talk to him. I turned the knob, surprised to find it was open. I walked into the living room where the three siblings were watching TV. Taylor didn't look very happy, but I guess being a prisoner in your own home would do that to a person.

"What are you wearing?" Elena asked, giggling slightly.

"Caroline did it." I replied. "So Taylor do you want to go up to your room?"

"Absolutely." Taylor answered.

We went upstairs. I barely even looked at Jeremy.

Anna's POV

Tyler was testing out the chains. I needed to know how far they would stretch. I hoped that I would be in a safe place. I know that I cannot let him bite me. Dying isn't on my to-do list tonight.

"Do you have the wolfsbane?" He asked.

"I do." I answered as I took out a water bottle. "Do you want a straw to drink from?"

"So do you know if these chains will be able to hold me?" He questioned. "The hardware store guy said that could support five thousand pounds."

"Yeah, they'll hold." I told him. "That doesn't mean that I won't keep my distance. Can't be too careful."

He then started stripping. I looked away, but I managed to catch a glimpse and I liked it.

Taylor's POV

We went up to my room and I laid on my bed.

"So just to be clear, you're not on board with this moonstone thing, are you?" I asked.

"No, but I don't even think Bonnie can do it." Ashley told me. "You know I miss the days when all we had to worry about was school. I wouldn't even mind still being pregnant. That's actually the most normal thing about my life right now. My sister is a vampire, my best friend has an evil lookalike and my boyfriend has a ring that prevents him from being killed. So do you have any idea how you're going to get Stefan out?"

"To be honest, no." I answered. "If I had a choice, I would turn myself into a vampire so I could go in there with him, but then Klaus would kill everyone else. Have you talked to your dad?"

"No, if he's not coming back, I'm not talking to him." She explained. You know hating our fathers was one of the things that Ashley and I had in common.

"So where's Caroline?" I questioned.

"She went to the Grill." Caroline replied.

No POV

In the tomb, Veronica was trying her best to seduce Stefan. He seemed to be giving in, only to find out that he was really dreaming.

"Stay out of my head."

Taylor's POV

After sunset, Elena and Jeremy were in their rooms, so Ashley and I decided to get something to eat. We noticed that Jenna was home.

"What are you doing?" I asked, noticing she was going through the closet under their stairs. I didn't know we still used that for anything.

"Oh perfect timing." Jenna remarked as she handed me a box.

"What is this stuff?" Ashley asked.

"Historical society stuff." Jenna replied. "I got roped into helping Mrs. Lockwood and by roped I mean very excited."

I was confused before she closed the door to reveal Elijah was on the other side. I gasped.

"Hi, I'm Elijah." He greeted. Ashley gasped afterwards. It was the first she was seeing him. I can't believe Jenna invited him in.

"Elijah is here researching the town." Jenna explained. I guess it wasn't a bad cover. "This is my niece, Taylor and her friend Ashley."

"It's a pleasure to meet you two." Elijah remarked as he held his hand out. I shook it.

"So, you're welcome to rummage through this stuff or Taylor and I can help you load it into your car."

"I can't lift more than 5 pounds." Ashley stated.

"Or I could have someone pick it up tomorrow." Elijah suggested,

"That'll work too." Jenna responded.

"I should probably get going." He declared. "Jenna, thanks for inviting me into your home, and Taylor…I hope to see you again soon."

"I think I want to leave." Ashley said after they went out the door. We went to my room to get her shoes, but Elijah met us at my door.

"Let me start by saying that I mean neither of you any harm." He stated. "But I think it's time that we talked. Ashley you're more than welcome to listen in since this matter concerns you."

Anna's POV

I waited in the cellar, trying not to stare at Tyler's naked body. I was surprised that he hadn't started changing yet. Of course, I couldn't see the moon outside.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"8:00." I told him. I didn't like waiting for this. Tom Petty is right. The waiting is the hardest part."

"So do you know how this is supposed to last?" He questioned.

"It varies between people and also from time to time. It's never really consistent aside from actually being on the full moon." I explained. I then noticed that he was becoming to experience muscle spasms.

"This is where I leave." I remarked.

Taylor's POV

We went into my room. I was pretty nervous.

"I hope you forgive my intrusion." He declared. "I just felt this was a very important matter to discuss after your most recent excursion last night."

"Why did you kill those vampires when they tried to take me?" I asked in confusion.

"Because I didn't want you to be taken." Elijah stated. "You assume that I planned on taking you to Klaus, but that is not the case."

"Then what is?" Ashley inquired.

"Klaus is the most feared and hated of the Originals, but those who fear him really just seek his approval." The Original explained. "If word of a doppelganger's existence got out, there would be scores of vampires lining up to take you away and that is something that I just can't have."

"So what are you trying to do if you don't want to take me to Klaus?" I asked.

"I don't want to break the curse." He told us. "What I want is to bring Klaus out. I think I can use you to do that. I can get him to come here."

"Do you even know where he is?" Ashley asked.

"No." Elijah answered as he took a seat on my bed.

"So how do you plan on using me?" I questioned.

"Well for starters, I need you to stay put and stop doing things that can get you killed." He remarked.

"I didn't expect things to go down like they did." I admitted. "I just wanted information on where to find Klaus."

"Well you need to make better decisions." He scolded me. "In fact, I'm prepared to offer you a deal."

"What do I have to do?" I asked as I sat next to him.

"Nothing." He answered. "Just stay here and go about living your life. You and I will be able to draw Klaus out and when the time is right, I'll kill him and in exchange, I can assure you that your family and friends, even the ones not born yet, will remain unharmed."

I saw Ashley blush when he said that.

'I'm a man of my word, Taylor. I just need yours." He added.

"How will you protect us?" Ashley questioned.

"I noticed that your friend Bonnie is a witch." He remarked. "I too have friends who are witches. Together we can protect everyone that matters to you."

"So what do you say? Deal or no deal?" Elijah asked as he held his hand out. I know Howie Mandell wouldn't do that. He was afraid of shaking people's hands. That's why he did the fist thing.

"Can I have a minute to talk it over with Ashley?" I requested. He nodded and went out the window. I think he was on the roof. "So what do you think?"

"I think this is something worth taking." Ashley replied. "I mean he's probably better as an ally than an enemy."

"Do you think those witches can get Stefan out of the tomb?" I asked.

"I think it would be worth a shot. Maybe you can see if you can get him to work that in." She suggested. I opened the window and Elijah came back in through it.

"I have an amendment to the deal." I offered.

"You're negotiating?" He responded in slight surprise.

"Stefan is trapped in the tomb with Veronica." I informed him. "I was wondering if your witches could get him out."

"I will have them remove the seal as soon as I can." He promised as he once again held his hand out. This time I shook it.

Anna's POV

I locked the door. I could still hear Tyler's cries of pain from behind it. I was glad that he was in here and not outside. I mean he could only attack people, but I don't think that's something that he would want.

Ashley's POV

I was getting ready to go. I then realized that Taylor might not be able to give me a ride home. I was too mad to ask Jeremy for one, so I decided to call Caroline.

"What's up?" She answered.

"I'm at Taylor's. I need a ride home." I told her. "Taylor can't give it to me and I don't want to ask Jeremy. So what have you been up to tonight?"

"I've been at the Grill helping Damon with something." She replied. Why was she helping Damon?

"Why were you helping Damon?" I questioned.

"He asked me to help see if this girl Mason knew was a werewolf and I played the drunk co-ed while secretly mixing wolfsbane into her drink. It only succeeded in pissing her off." She replied.

"I still don't understand why you would help Damon." I repeated. "You hate him."

"Well I felt like I should help him." She explained. "I mean despite what he did to me, I still do owe him my life."

"Okay, you're acting really weird, but whatever, just pick me up." I commented before I hung up and put my shoes.

No POV

Stefan was waiting in the tomb, doing his best to ignore her. It wasn't working so well.

"Are you not going to talk to me?" Ronnie asked

"We can talk about all of the misery that you caused me." Stefan declared.

"I didn't mean for things to go down the way they did. I was going to come back for you. I wanted to do it right. I probably shouldn't have compelled you, but it hurt me that you were afraid of me and I didn't know what else to do. I could have taught you to feed properly so you wouldn't go through what you did. I'm sorry." She apologized. Stefan honestly was surprised. He couldn't believe that he heard those two words come out of her mouth

"Is anyone in there?" Elijah called into the tomb.

The two went to the door.

"Elijah." The blonde remarked in fear.

"Hello, Verena. Your fear pleases me." He stated. "Stefan, your release has been requested by a Miss Taylor Gilbert."

"I can't get out." Stefan remarked.

"Yes you can. I've had the tomb spell removed." Elijah declared at which point Veronica tried to run out. "Your sentence is still being upheld. _You are not to leave the tomb_."

"I will not leave the tomb." Ronnie repeated.

Stefan was a little shocked by the fact that Elijah had just compelled her. Stefan stepped outside.

"Stefan, you can't let him leave me here." She begged.

"Bye, Ronnie." He said before he walked up the stairs.

Anna's POV

After the moon had passed, I went back into the cellar. I opened the door, knowing it should be over by now. I had grabbed a blanket from his truck and went over to him and began to unfasten the chains. I knew the time was wrong and he probably didn't even like me like that, but I was glad to have helped him.

Taylor's POV

I was waiting with my window opened in a nightgown. He finally came in. I don't know where Anna was, but she would have to sleep on the couch.

"Stefan, I know we have some disagreements about some things, but right now, I just want to make love to you."

Ashley's POV

After Caroline brought me, I put on some of my own clothes and headed to bed. My phone was ringing, but I saw who it was and didn't bother to answer it.

So there's a lot of Ashley and Taylor in this chapter. I tried something different with Anna's POV. I probably won't do any others. So who called Ashley? You'll find out in the next chapter. Please don't forget to review.


	35. The Descent

Ashley's POV

I didn't end up answering the phone. I didn't want to talk to him right now. I wanted to sleep.

In the morning, I dressed myself in a black and white dress that resembled what a sexy maid would wear. It wasn't exactly lingerie. It was definitely something that I could wear out in public. I hear the sound of the doorbell ring. I opened and it and almost closed it instantly.

"You need to let me in, Ashley." My dad told me.

"I don't need to do anything." I told him before he opened the door and walked into the house.

"Look I know that you're mad at me…" He replied.

"Mad doesn't begin to describe it." I cut him off. "You left us. You left us to move to Memphis with another man."

"Honey, you need to accept me for what I am." He declared.

"I don't care that you're gay, Dad." I told him. "I do care that you left Caroline and I without a father. You don't know how much that hurts."

"I'm here now and I want to make things better." He responded. I didn't want to believe him, but he was here.

Taylor's POV

I headed to the boarding house to look for Stefan. I wore a grey tank top with jeans and black flats with white socks.

"Stefan…" I called into his room. "You're standing right behind me, aren't you?"

"Yup." Stefan told me. I turned around and found that he was shirtless. I figured that I should be the same. I started to kiss him. "Good morning."

"Less talk, more sex." I declared.

"We need to talk about this deal you made with Elijah." Stefan stated.

"Can we have sex first?" I asked before I started to kiss him some more.

"I can't just pretend that everything's okay." He responded.

"Veronica's locked up and you're not and we don't have to worry about Tyler killing anyone on the full moon. Everything is okay." I reasoned as I began to walk around the room. I pulled my top off to see if that could get him in the mood.

"What about Klaus trying to use you as his sacrifice?" Stefan asked.

"Elijah said that he would keep me and everyone else safe as long as we played by his rules." I declared noticing he was putting a shirt on. Boo. I then grabbed a vial of vervain from his dresser.

"I don't like the playing by his rules part." He remarked.

"Please don't go after Isobel." I requested as I put my shirt back on and put a few drops into a cup.

"She might know some stuff." Stefan responded.

"I don't want you to talking to a crazy bitch about it." I remarked.

"She is your mother." Stefan pointed out.

"No, my mother drowned in the lake with my father." I argued as I poured some water into the glass. I refused to accept either Isobel or John as my parents. "I'm sticking to my deal with Elijah."

"Well I didn't make a deal with him." He said. I took a sip of the glass.

"Do you understand that I don't want to lose you again?" I asked. "You need to drink this. If Originals can compel vampires, you need to make it so you can't be."

Stefan sipped from the glass before he started to cough.

"Now promise me that you won't see Isobel." I repeated.

"I need to do whatever I can to save you." He replied.

"Elijah knows how to kill Klaus." I explained. "That will save me."

He then kissed me some more. He was manipulating me…and I loved it.

I went downstairs to find Rose and Damon. Apparently the bitch had been bitten by a werewolf last night. I thought it was just. I was actually surprised that she wasn't dead yet. Maybe it was a slow death. I just hoped that she would be dead soon. Her back was infected.

"She looks great, doesn't she Taylor?" Damon asked. Now he wanted me to lie to her.

"Sure." I replied. "I need you to talk to Stefan. He wants to find Isobel, but I think that'll upset Elijah."

"Okay, I'll talk to him if you babysit her." Damon told me.

"There's no way in hell that's happening." I responded.

"She's dying, Taylor." I whispered through his teeth.

"Well as much as I'd like to see it happen, I have better things to do." I replied. I could be a bitch when I wanted to. "Maybe you should see if Elena will do it. She's a do-gooder. It's in her nature or maybe Caroline."

"What does that make you?" He asked.

"Someone is who is very angry that she spent all of yesterday on magical house arrest." I replied.

Ashley's POV

I was doing my best to avoid my dad as I went to the Booster Squad Barbecue. I don't know how this was different from the Spirit Squad. There are too many squads to keep track of honestly. I began to look for Jeremy. I happened to notice that Anna was talking to Tyler, probably about last night.

"What are you doing?" My boyfriend asked me.

"I'm hiding from my dad." I told him.

"Your dad is here?" He asked in surprise.

"You might want to hide from him as well." I proposed. "So I really want some chili fries right now."

"I think you have to wait until they start serving the food." Jeremy told me.

"Well we then we need to make sure that we're first in line." I rebutted. "Or we could skip this and you could drive me to The Grill."

"Okay, let's skip it." Jeremy agreed.

I decided to give Caroline a call to see if she wanted to come with us. I couldn't help but wonder if she was with my dad. She liked him a lot more than I did. It rang a few times before she answered.

"I can't really talk now, Ash." My sister told me.

"Why not?" I questioned.

"Damon asked me to babysit Rose." Caroline replied.

"Why did you say yes?" I asked in confusion.

"Because no one else wanted to." Caroline answered. That still didn't answer why she was doing it.

"Well I'm going to the Grill if you change your mind." I said before I hung up. I then looked at Jeremy. "So, you need to apologize to Taylor. She apologized to you for erasing your memories, which you asked for in the first place. She's sure your sister and you're not supposed to do that to each other."

"Bonnie needs to apologize too." Jeremy pointed out.

"That's not likely." I told him.

Taylor's POV

I walked around the school grounds. I couldn't find Ashley, so I decided to hang out with my sister. I can't believe that she said no to helping Rose. Maybe she was just as upset about the kidnapping as I was.

"So have you thought about telling Matt?" I questioned.

"Matt doesn't need to get involved in this." Elena told me.

"You said the same thing about Jeremy and Ashley and both of them turned out okay." I pointed out. "Even Caroline has been taking it well. She's closer to Damon then I'd like, but that's not a big problem."

"Why is Caroline like that anyway?" Elena inquired.

"I think it's because she's grateful for Damon saving her. He was just the first one to get there. Stefan or Anna could have done it too if they had the chance." I explained.

"I can't believe that you're still sharing a bed with Anna." Elena remarked as the line began to finally move. I hope that these chicken wings are worth it. "You are really close to her."

"Well she lost her mom and I don't want her to leave. It's easier to keep track of her if she's with me." I answered. "I'm really horny. Stefan wouldn't have sex with me this morning."

"I wish that you had a filter." Elena declared.

"You know that you love me the way that I am." I told her as it finally became our turn to eat. "So do you where Jeremy is?"

"I think he and Ashley. Ashley was trying to avoid her dad." Elena explained. I didn't even know that Bill was here. Why was Bill here anyway?

"Did he bring his boyfriend with him?" I asked.

"You definitely need a filter." She reiterated.

"He does have a boyfriend." I pointed out as I noticed who was serving the food. "Hello Josh."

"Have you seen Caroline?" The runningback inquired. "I don't think she ever showed up."

"I don't know where she is." I replied.

Ashley's POV

We arrived at the Grill, where I happened to notice Stefan. Maybe I should tell Taylor about this.

"What are you doing here?" I asked the vampire.

"I was looking for a way to contact Isobel and/or cure Rose." He replied. I then noticed my mom walked over to me. Stefan decided to walk away.

"Did you tell Dad about me?" I asked her.

"He deserves to know, Ashley." Mom replied. "I think that you should talk to him."

"I don't want to talk to him." I responded. "I just want to get some chili fries. Also I need you to get me some more of those vitamins. I'm all out."

"He's not just going to leave and he will be staying with us." She remarked.

"You know most people wouldn't open their home to their exes. I guess I'm sleeping over at Taylor's tonight then."

"You know you're going to be a mom in a few months, maybe you should learn to act like an adult." She proposed. I wasn't acting like a child right now. I went back over to Jeremy in anger.

"What's wrong?" He's asked.

"It's just some family drama." I told him. "You know I wish Jenna would let me live with you."

"The house is already full enough." Jeremy said.

"I didn't say that I thought it would happen, but I do wish that it would." I told him. "So what do you think my dad wants?"

"He probably does want to talk to you." Jeremy replied as he pulled me next to him in the booth. "I think you should at least try to hear him out. I mean even though he left you, he did come back and he might be trying to fix things. I say at least give him a chance."

"Would you give John another chance?" I challenged.

"John tried to kill several of my friends." Jeremy pointed out. "It's not exactly the same thing."

Okay, I guess that he had me there, but I didn't want to talk to my dad. I guess I could the next time that I see him. It wouldn't hurt to listen.

"I want you to be there when I do." I bargained.

"Okay." He agreed as I our fries arrived. I smiled and began to eat.

Taylor's POV

After dark, I began to wander the school grounds hoping that Stefan would show up. I noticed someone by a trashcan and walked closer. Once I was nearer, I saw Lucky the janitor's dead body on the ground and near him was Rose. Why wasn't she dead yet?

"Verena." She snarled at me. Oh crap. I need to run. She had a hungry look in her eyes. I began to run. Had she escaped from Caroline?

"Rose, I'm not Veronica. I'm Taylor." I told her. I need something wooden. Why don't I carry a stake around me for this type of situation? Suddenly Rose was tackled to the ground by Damon. That seemed to get Rose to return to normal.

"Did I do this?" The older vampire asked. She was in tears. I still don't think that I felt any sympathy for her.

"Please tell me that you have a stake." I replied before I noticed a broken mop. I think I could do it this time. I grabbed it and plunged it into her heart.

"We might have been able to heal her." Damon told me.

"That was because she kidnapped me, attacked me and killed Lucky." I responded. "She was going to die anyway, so I just figured that I should speed up the process."

Ashley's POV

After we were done eating, I decided to call my dad.

"I'm surprised that you're calling me." He remarked.

"Dad, I want to talk." I said as I looked over to Jeremy. "Meet me over at the house."

Jeremy drove me to my house and then he came in with me. He was apparently already there, judging by his car in the driveway.

"So what are you really doing here?" I asked.

"I think you need to do something about this baby." Dad remarked.

"I think we have everything under control." I replied. Now I was just annoyed that he came here for that. "The only thing that we need to do is decide on a name."

"No, you don't." Dad told me. "Fortunately I know a good way that you two can fix things."

"What's that?" Jeremy asked. He then pulled a small box out of his pocket. I hope that wasn't what I thought it was. He opened it and it indeed was.

"Jeremy, I want you to take this ring and propose to my daughter." Dad instructed. Oh crap.

I want to apologize for the short length, but I really hate this episode. I didn't even want to do it and as you can see I put as little of Rose as possible. The next chapter will be longer, but there will be some surprise characters showing up. Please don't forget to review.


	36. Daddy Issues

It's been a few days. Ashley's dad managed to convince Jeremy to propose to her. I don't know if he had much of a choice to be honest. The wedding was going to be in a few days. To make matters worse, John came in last night. I honestly didn't want to talk to him right now as I prepared to walk to school with Anna.

When we got outside, Tyler was there. He did not look happy.

"What are you doing here?" I inquired.

"We need to talk." He said to Anna. What had happened between them to make him so upset?

"Yeah, that kiss was a little too soon." Anna replied. I don't think that was what he wanted to talk about. "I don't know if I want to go there."

"What happened to my uncle Mason?" The werewolf asked. Did he find out something? How would he have found out?

"What?" I asked.

"He's dead and I want to know what happened." Tyler replied. This was bad. This was very bad.

"I…don't…" Anna stammered.

"How about I tell you?" Tyler responded. "Stefan and his brother Damon killed him. That's because they're vampires like you and so is Caroline."

"What are you talking about?" I feigned. "Vampires, that's crazy."

"Don't play dumb." He warned me.

"Who told you?" Anna asked.

"Is it true?" Tyler challenged.

"There's stuff I need to tell you." Anna replied.

"Did you know that he was dead this whole time?" Tyler asked angrily. "Did you?"

Anna nodded and he pushed her against my car. I knew I had to do something. I took out the wolfsbane dart Ric had given me and stabbed him with it. It would give us enough time to get away. I didn't know if we should head to school or the boarding house. I then got a text from Elena saying that there was no school today.

I don't know why, but I guess that meant that we were going to the boarding house.

Ashley's POV

Because there was no school, my dad thought it would be a good idea to take me shopping for dresses. Now keep in mind that just because my dad is gay doesn't mean that he's good with clothes. That's kind of a bad stereotype.

"I don't understand why I have to get married." I told him as we entered the store. I definitely wasn't ready for it. "You're not married."

"You know it's not legal in Tennessee." He reminded me. "I've talked to John Gilbert and he also supports the idea."

You know him and John being on the same page doesn't surprise me.

"Find something that you like." He told me. It wasn't really a suggestion. I saw an off-white pretty basic looking and went to try it on begrudgingly.

Taylor's POV

I actually decided to go back inside while Anna went to take Tyler home while he was unconscious. I needed to have some. Unfortunately, John was awake. There was also a ring of the doorbell. I opened it and was a little surprised to see her.

"Aunt Casey?" I asked. Casey was John and my dad's younger sister. She had dark brown hair and one her most noticeable traits was her bushy eyebrows. She was 28 and finishing up med school at Harvard. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello Taylor." She greeted me before she stormed into the kitchen and laid a piece of paper on the table. "What THE FUCK is this?"

The piece of paper in question was a printed out wedding invite that she had received via email.

"Jeremy impregnated Ashley Forbes, so her father and I had the idea for them to get married." John explained.

"In other words, they're being forced to marry against their will." I quipped.

"This is unbelievable." Casey replied. "Baby aside, Jeremy is too young to get married. Plus it makes a total hypocrite because you never married Isobel."

"What?" Jenna asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"John, kind of my father." I told Jenna. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you, but then he was gone."

"Why is Casey here?" Jenna then asked, probably as surprised to see her as any of us.

"I was invited to a wedding." Casey replied. Jenna looked confused about that.

"I hope you don't mean Jeremy and Ashley, because I will not give my consent for that." Jenna remarked.

"You see, I don't think a judge would take too kindly to the fact that you allowed the pregnancy to happen." John replied. "I could probably get your guardianship overturned if you don't go along with it."

John walked out of the room after that.

"I see my brother is still as big of a jackass as ever." Casey commented. "I'll stay in a hotel until we can get this resolved."

I decided to follow Casey out before she left.

"Do you know anything about the 'family secret'?" I asked.

"You mean the vampires?" Casey responded.

"Do you have an opinion on them?" I questioned.

"My parents taught me about them, but unlike my brothers, I wondered why I should hate them." Casey told me.

"Well that makes me feel better telling you that my boyfriend is a vampire." I remarked.

"What?" She asked in shock.

"I need to get going." I declared suddenly. There was going to be a memorial for Lucky, as well as some missing campers and a deputy. How many deputies have been killed recently?

Ashley's POV

I came out wearing the dress. It was loose enough that it didn't constrict my belly.

"Let's get this one." I declared. "I like it."

"Are you just saying that because you don't want to try on any more?" He asked.

"Yes." I answered. "But I'm not going to try any more on. I want to see Jeremy."

"You should spend time with your family right now." He suggested.

"You've been gone for over two years and you want to have family time?" I asked in disbelief. "I'd rather go to this memorial in town square."

I hated memorials, but I would do anything to get away from my dad.

Taylor's POV

Before I left, Damon showed up at the house.

"Where's John?" He asked.

"I don't know. The only reason that he said he was here for this wedding." I explained. "Plus my aunt is here now."

"You have another aunt?" Damon questioned in surprise.

"Yeah, she goes to Harvard Medical." I explained. "Her name is Casey and you are not allowed to date her or go anywhere within a mile of her."

"Are you okay with John being here?" He replied.

"Well Jenna is confused, and Casey is very angry, but I'm okay." I admitted. "Can I ask you if we've stepped into the bizarre world where John is trustworthy and Elijah is not?"

"I personally don't trust either of them." Damon declared. Well at least he was honest about it. "I say we kill him."

"Really? That's your first solution to everything." I told him. "We're not killing him. We don't even know what he wants."

"I was joking." He replied. "We do need to find out what he wants first. I'm the good guy now."

"What does that mean?" I inquired.

"I am going to have a civil conversation with your father." He explained.

"I'm coming too." I replied as we went out the door.

Ashley's POV

I went to town square to find that memorial was just as dreary as I thought it would be. I found Jeremy, but unfortunately, he was with John. How is it that someone I love so much is related to someone I hate so much?

I walked over anyway as Jeremy was taking his ring off.

"If you want it back, take it and leave." He spat.

"What kind of man would I be if I took that from you?" John asked.

"Do you really want to hear the answer to that?" I quipped.

"Maybe I can take you and your fiancée to lunch." John suggested.

"No." I responded. John walked away. "I hated how he called me your fiancée."

"It's kind of true." Jeremy pointed out.

"Only because my dad and your uncle are forcing us to get married." I argued.

"I think my aunt is here." Jeremy stated.

"Jeremy, you live with your aunt." I reminded him, hoping he wasn't using drugs again.

"No, I mean Casey." Jeremy said.

"I don't think I remember her." I admitted. "Why is Bonnie talking to Dr. Martin?"

"I don't know." Jeremy responded.

"Do you think it's possible that Elijah might be the good guy?" I asked.

"Please tell me you're joking." Jeremy declared.

"I just think if he wants to protect Taylor, maybe we should let him." I responded.

Taylor's POV

Damon and I walked into the Grill together.

"Where's Stefan?" I asked curiously.

"I haven't been keeping track." Damon said before we noticed John. I hope Damon wouldn't do anything stupid here.

"Don't do anything stupid." I requested.

"But stupid is so much more fun." He replied.

"Just keep things civil." I told him.

"Okay." Damon remarked before we walked over. "John, buddy, how you been?"

I stood close by to be a buffer. John was lighting the candles. I think having those inside is a fire hazard.

"So I hear you have a lot to say, but aren't talking." Damon commented.

"How do I know that I can trust you?" John asked. "Originals can compel other vampires and last I checked that necklace was the only source of vervain you had. That's why Ronnie is still in the tomb."

"We've been drinking vervain." I explained. "It's not easy for them, but it prevents compulsion. Ronnie did it, but hers was gone."

"You're drinking vervain?" John questioned in surprise.

"You know I don't see that ring on your finger." Damon remarked. "So if you know something about Klaus, you should start talking or I'll rip your throat out."

Of course, threatening is completely civil. Why did I even bother asking?

"Now is that any way to let someone know they can trust you?" John asked him. Damon is an idiot. Damon is an idiot. "Can I trust you? Can I count on you?"

"What happened to civil?" I inquired after John had walked away.

Anna's POV

I was walking around, hoping that Stefan was handling the Tyler thing. I was still kind of nervous that Tyler would pop out again. At this point, I wasn't sure if I should kill him or not.

"Excuse me?" A woman called to me. "You're Anna, aren't you? I'm looking for Tyler. Do you know where he is?"

"No." I lied.

"I know you're lying." She told me. So, my suspicions about her were correct.

"What are you going to do about it?" I asked.

"How about this?" She responded as she sprayed me with a bottle of vervain. I turned away as I prepared to rip her heart out. I turned around…and was promptly shot in the face with a wooden bullet. I fell to the ground in pain before I lost consciousness.

I woke up a few minutes later after my brain had regenerated. I had a really nasty headache as I realized at that I was in a cage. I knew the first thing that I had to do was get the bullet out. I stuck my hand in the hole and removed the wooden pellet. I looked around and then noticed a werewolf with a gun was seated in front of me. This was not good.

He shot me a second time. Okay, wooden bullets really hurt.

Ashley's POV

I was with Jeremy in his house since no one else was really there right now.

"So do you have a tux yet?" I asked.

"Not yet." Jeremy explained as the door suddenly opened. It was a dark-haired woman. I think that was Jeremy's Aunt Casey. "Hey, Aunt Casey, it's good to see you."

"I wish I could say the same." Casey replied. She then looked at me and my stomach. "You're Ashley, right?"

"Yeah." I responded. I didn't know what else to say.

Taylor's POV

I sat next to Damon at the bar because I knew I had to stick close to him. I wasn't drinking this time. Jenna came up with the local reporter. What is it with Jenna and reporters?

"Damon, this is my friend, Andie Starr." She introduced. Was she trying to set him up?

"Can I buy you a drink?" Andie asked.

"My glass is full." Damon replied. Thank God. Damon doesn't need a human girlfriend. "Come on, Taylor, let's get you home."

My phone then began to ring. It was Stefan.

"Hello…" I purred.

"Jules is holding Anna captive and wants Tyler in return." Stefan explained. I knew that Damon heard that.

After I was off the phone, I took Damon into the bathroom with me to discuss what we were going to do.

"We have to save her." I replied.

"Why didn't I know that Stefan was with Tyler?" The vampire asked.

"I didn't know either. That's not important. What's important is saving Anna right now." I reminded him. "Also don't kill Tyler. You can kill Jules or any of the others, but not Tyler. He's the mayor's son. You can't kill the mayor's son."

Suddenly John barged in.

"This is the ladies' room." I told him.

"What are you doing?" John asked.

"We're talking with the door closed." I explained.

"We don't trust you either, so get out of the bathroom." Damon responded. That sounded so weird coming from his mouth.

"Look we need to save Anna now, so no fighting with John." I told him.

"I'll take care of it." Damon declared. "I'll bring Caroline, but there's nothing you can do. Okay, Papa John, ground your daughter."

"I'm going." I replied.

"No, I'm with Damon here." John responded. Since when do they agreed on anything?

Later I tried to go out the door, but John wouldn't let me.

"You're not leaving this restaurant." He told me.

"You're can't tell me what I can't do." I responded.

"Yes, I can because I'm your father." He replied.

"No, your brother was my father." I said as I crossed my arms. "That's what my birth certificate says, and that's what I'm going with and I'm leaving."

"Did you really think it was smart to make a deal with Elijah?" John inquired.

"He knows how to kill Klaus, do you?" I challenged.

"No, but I won't put you in any danger." He said. "I've made some mistakes, but all I want to do now is protect you."

"I don't want your help." I told him as I pushed past him. "If you want to help me, then take me to get my bridesmaid dress."

That led to us going to the bridal store, which was open until nine. I put on a red dress that really wasn't that exciting. I don't know if I wanted this wedding to happen or not.

No POV

Stefan, Damon, and Caroline arrived with Tyler.

"Where is she?" Stefan asked.

"Locked up tight." Jules answered. "Give us the boy and I'll let her go."

A fight then broke out and while Anna was successfully freed, the vampires were overmatched and outnumbered. They were losing when suddenly Jonas showed up and gave all of the wolves but Tyler aneurysms.

"Elijah made a deal with Taylor that her friends wouldn't be harmed." Jonas declared. "I'm here to see it's upheld. You need to leave."

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I were currently watching _Big Time Rush_. It was my choice.

"Why do you watch this stuff?" He asked.

"Hey, Big Time Rush is going to be as big as Miley Cyrus someday." I told him.

"No, they're not because they're a boyband. The boyband era is dead." He remarked.

Suddenly, the door opened and there was Anna with Stefan. I could tell that her clothes were all bloody.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Just a problem with some werewolves." Anna explained.

"They captured her and tortured her." Stefan explained. Jeremy decided to go upstairs at that point. I went and gave Anna a hug.

"I'm fine. I promise." Anna declared. "I just need a shower and some new clothes."

"Well I think I'm going to go home." I declared.

Anna's POV

After my shower, I heard the door. No one else was getting, so I had to. It was Tyler.

"You know I should kill you." I remarked. "I won't, but I should."

"I didn't know what they were gonna do to you." Tyler declared.

"You just stood when Jules was about to kill me." Anna reminded me. "You did nothing but stand there. I thought I was your friend, Tyler. You wanna why Damon killed Mason. Mason had essentially put a hit on him and tried to kill Ashley. He was one of the bad guys, Tyler. You know I thought that I liked you. I thought I had a found a nice guy that I could be with, but I was wrong."

"I'm sorry." He told me.

"It's too late to apologize. It's too late." I remarked. I felt like quoting OneRepublic. "Now leave me alone."

I slammed the door in his face.

Taylor's POV

I was at the Grill where I met Stefan. I had finally escaped John. I was glad that they were able to save Anna.

"You're okay." I remarked as I hugged him. "How is she?"

"She's putting on a good face, but she could use some company. I need you and Ashley to help with that."

Ashley's POV

When I got home, I realized something. I wasn't going to do what my dad wanted.

"Dad, I'm not getting married. So unless you plan on staying for another reason then go back to your boyfriend in Memphis." I declared. Suddenly I got a text from Taylor. Apparently I needed to come over to her house right away.

Taylor took us to the door and instead of unlocking it, she rang the bell, but Jeremy answered it.

"I need you to get Anna." She said. "Oh and you're not getting married."

Jeremy went upstairs and the short vampire came down.

'Why are you standing out there?" Anna asked.

"We heard what happened and thought that you could use a slumber party." Taylor remarked.

No POV

John made his way down to the tomb.

"Veronica?" He called.

"What do you want?" The German replied as she came to the door as far as she could go.

"I thought you might be interested in knowing I have a plan." John remarked.

"Well it better be to get me out of this tomb." Ronnie replied.

"It is." John declared.

So here we have Casey Gilbert played by Jordana Brewster (if the eyebrow thing didn't give it away). She will be important later on. Also Anna got tortured instead of Caroline and Ashley decided there will be no wedding. Please don't forget to review.


	37. Crying Wolf

Taylor's POV

I woke up to the sound of my phone going off. My bed was even more crowded than usual with Ashley in it. This is why she usually sleeps in Jeremy's my bed. I fell out of bed trying to answer it, being the naturally clumsy person that I am. It was Good Friday and we had no school. That's the good thing about living in the south.

"Hello?" I answered sleepily.

"Taylor, turn it off." Ashley whined. I had to admit that was cute. I crawled out my door so they could get their precious beauty sleep.

"How did the slumber party go?" Stefan asked me.

"It wasn't much of a slumber party since Anna already shares my bed and Ashley seems to come over every other night." I pointed out. "I want to have a slumber party with you."

"How about this weekend?" Stefan suggested.

"Let's go to my family's lake house then." I suggested.

"Are you sure?" He questioned.

"Yes, with all this marriage and killer werewolf and sacrifice stuff, I just need a fucking break." I declared.

"Does this have anything to do with dodging you father?" Stefan asked. I really wish people would stop calling him that.

"He's also something that I want to get away from." I added.

Ashley's POV

Not long after Taylor's phone went off, mine did. Why was everyone calling so early? It was Caroline.

"What?" I answered.

"I need you to cover for me with Mom. I kind of spent the night at the boarding house." She declared as Anna noticed Anna putting a pillow in front of her face.

"I'm not at home." I told her. "I spent the night with Taylor and Anna. Why were you at the boarding house? Were you there with Damon or something?"

That thought revolted me.

"Yes, actually." She answered. "I can't stay away from him no matter how hard I try."

"Caroline he abused you." I pointed out.

"I know what he did, but that doesn't mean that he can't change." Caroline argued. "He apologized for it."

"Well I need to get going. I'm going to meet Bonnie at the Grill." I responded before I hung. I turned to Anna. "You wanna come?"

"No, I just wanna stay home today." The Asian vampire declared.

I decided to go through Anna's clothes because she would probably have something more fitting to my style. I found a nice black long-sleeved backless dress and headed to the Grill.

"So do you have some sort of spell you're planning?" I asked.

"We don't know what Elijah is up to." She stated.

"We have an idea." I pointed out.

"Well I'm going to ask Luca to tell me everything." Bonnie declared.

"I don't think that you can flirt it out of him." I told her.

"He'll tell me whether he likes it or not." The witch declared.

"I thought you hated the idea of compulsion." I reminded her. "Plus, this will make him really mad at you."

I don't think she was going to listen to me. I need to find Jeremy. He listens to me.

I went to the bathroom and on the way back, I collided with Tyler.

"Ashley, I need to talk to Anna." He told me.

"Well that's too bad because she doesn't want to talk to you." I declared as I tried to pick my stuff up off the ground. "I'm not her messenger and even if I was, she wouldn't want the message. So do both of us a favor and leave her the hell alone. Go back to your wolves."

Taylor's POV

I was with Stefan as we prepared to go to the lakehouse. I was a in a grey long-sleeved dress with red leaves on it. It was probably better suited for autumn than spring, but it was what I wanted to wear. It was cold like autumn.

"So are you ready to go?" He asked me.

"I'm totally ready." I answered. "I want out of here before John appears and pretends he's more than my obnoxious uncle."

We headed to the car when I got a text from Ashley wondering where I was.

"Is anything wrong?" Stefan inquired.

"Nope I was just texting. I'm a girl. I text." I told him as I told her I was going to be at the lakehouse.

After a trip of a few hours, we arrived at the house. It was the first time that I had ever ridden in his car…which is kind of sad. The house looked the same as I remembered it. It was the same log cabin that it had always been.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I just haven't been here since my parents died." I explained. I noticed him frowning. He does that too much. "Don't even think about taking me anywhere else. We are staying here."

I walked into the house while Stefan was carrying the bags.

"I can't get in." He told me.

"Okay, then come in." I said nonchalantly. He looked at bit surprised by my total indifference about it. "You have my stuff and I even think about not inviting you, you could throw my bags in the lake."

"Why do you need two bags for a three-day trip?" He inquired.

"Do you really want to know the answer to that?" I countered with a sexy smile on my face as he entered the house. He put my bags down and then picked me up. "Careful, you might catch my clumsiness."

He shut me up with some kisses. I was glad the first thing that we were going to be doing was sexual. We haven't done that enough. He took me to a bedroom and we began to strip our clothes off. I could tell that this would be a magical weekend and I hoped this would be the first many times that we do this. I decided that I just wanted to be under the covers for a little while.

"You know I think you have a higher libido than I do." Stefan quipped.

"We haven't done it since before you were in the tomb." I reminded him.

Ashley's POV

I sat at a table with Jeremy while Bonnie literally went to work her magic.

"So are you going to help Bonnie with this?" He asked me.

"Well I don't think that I could convince her otherwise and it would probably be a good idea to find out what Elijah plans on doing even though I think the means that she plans to go to are a bit extreme." I answered as I stuffed a large burger into my mouth.

We looked over to them at the pool table. Luca drank some of the tranquilizer coffee and then fainted. That was our cue. I made sure to get a to-go box because I didn't want to waste any of my food and my baby apparently liked hamburgers.

Jeremy walked over and grabbed the male witch. I think that they like to be called warlocks, but I don't care. All witches will be called the same thing to me. It's simply easier to say and remember like postmen instead of post…people.

Taylor's POV

I went to look out at the lake wearing a blanket. I need to remember to take this blanket home with me. It was an Orioles one. It's too bad the Orioles haven't been good in a long time. Stefan came and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"You know I broke my arm diving off that dock once." I replied. "My ability to injure myself isn't just restricted to Mystic Falls. My dad taught Jeremy and Elena how to fish. I wasn't ever interested in learning. Do you know how to fish because we will need some food?"

"Yes I can fish or we could just go to the Kroger." He told me.

"So do you think we can have a future? I know it's something that we need to talk about someday." I told him.

"We're on vacation. We're not going to talk about that right now." Stefan replied. "Right now just think about being at your second home with your boyfriend who loves you."

We decided not to get fish went to Kroger. Stefan was currently cooking the dinner and I had a glass of wine in my hand. I don't even like wine, but it was his idea.

"My dad did the cooking to. He was a master with both surgical and kitchen knives." I stated.

"What did you mom do?" He asked.

"She sat on the couch with a glass of wine in her hand." I replied. I looked to the fire and noticed it was burning out. "We need more wood for the fire. You know I kind of wish Bonnie was here so to keep it lit."

"I'll go get more wood." He volunteered.

"I can get it." I replied as I got up off of the couch.

"No, you'd probably trip over a branch and break your leg." He joked.

"Only I get to make fun of my lack of balance." I told him. "I'm getting a jacket."

I went to the closet to get a jacket and noticed some loose boards. Stefan removed them to reveal a door and behind that door was an arsenal of vampire-hunting gear. I couldn't believe. They had more weapons than Alaric.

Ashley's POV

Jeremy and I went to my house where Bonnie had taken. Luca.

"We don't have very long to do this. My mom will be home soon." I pointed out. "We need to be quick with it. Ask the questions and get him out of here."

"How are you gonna do this?" Jeremy inquired.

"I'll put him in a trance and then ask him some questions." Bonnie explained.

"Are you sure that you can do this?" Jeremy asked.

"That's why I have candles." Bonnie declared as she lit them with her magic. I wasn't going to get used to that. "I also need some water."

"Okay, I'll get some water." I replied as I went to the kitchen. I also wanted some potato chips. I hope that the crunching wouldn't interfere her ability to cast the spell. You know I'll just have some pickle chips.

I brought them back. Mom didn't like it when I stuck my hands into the pickle jar, but she wasn't home.

At that time, Bonnie began to cast the spell.

Taylor's POV

I noticed some books in the arsenal.

"These must be the other Jonathan journals." I stated. I think it sounded better than Gilbert journals. "You know it's very convenient that Jeremy found the exact one that Anna was looking for."

"I'm going to go get the firewood." Stefan announced as he left me to look over the closet. I can't believe that my parents had this stuff. I know Casey said that they were taught to hate them, but I didn't expect this. Speaking of Casey, I couldn't help but wonder if she was going to come back after she was done with med school.

Anna's POV

I walked downstairs. I was kind of lonely right now. I noticed Jenna was fighting with John after the woman was gone, I went over to him.

"You need to back off with telling her." I threatened.

"What are you going to do?" He challenged.

"I'll tell Sheriff Forbes how you killed my mother." I declared.

"Then I would tell her you're a vampire." John countered.

"Who do you think she's going to trust?" I asked. "Will it be one of her daughter's friends or the asshole who knocked her out and cuffed her to a desk? What exactly gives you the right to live in your brother's house? Did his will say that you can crash here whenever you want?"

"Actually yes." John declared.

"Okay, well I'm going to the Grill." I replied as I walked back out of the door so he wouldn't try anything. I wish I could kill him. I don't think anyone will mind.

Ashley's POV

Bonnie ended up putting Luca into a trance.

"Why are you and your dad working with Elijah?" She asked.

"We both want Klaus dead." Luca murmured. This was really creepy.

"Why do you want Klaus dead?" Bonnie then asked.

"He has her." Luca answered.

"Who?" I interrupted.

"My sister. He has my sister." Luca replied.

"Why does he have her?" Bonnie inquired.

"He's forced generations of witches into his service as he's searched for the doppelganger. He needs a witch to undo the curse."

"Where does Elijah fit into this?" Bonnie questioned.

"If we help Elijah kill Klaus, he's promised to get her back." Luca replied.

"How do you kill Klaus?" Bonnie asked. "How do you kill an Original?"

At this point, Luca seemed to be resisting, but Bonnie managed to regain control. I could now tell that this was extremely unethical.

"How do you kill Klaus?" Bonnie repeated.

"After the sacrifice, Klaus will be vulnerable." Luca explained.

"Hold up. After the sacrifice?" I asked in disbelief. So Elijah's plan was to let Taylor die. No, we couldn't let that happen. There has to be another way to kill Klaus.

"What do you mean after the sacrifice?" Bonnie questioned.

"Klaus will be vulnerable. Taylor has to die." Luca droned. Yeah, that definitely wasn't good. I don't think any of us were in approval of that. There has to be some other way to kill Klaus. There has to be.

Taylor's POV

It had been fifteen minutes and Stefan still hadn't come back with the wood. I was beginning to get cold. There was a definitely downside to be in the mountains. I went by the door to see if he was nearby with the wood.

"Are you growing the trees?" I called into the woods. Did he lose the axe? Did he need an axe? He probably needed an axe. I don't why, but I suddenly felt a really bad vibe. I think someone else was here. I grabbed a knife off of the counter as I went toward the door. I went outside and came across this creepy-looking guy with a buzz who looked kind of like this guy from this Canadian show that I once watched. I knew it. I knew Canadians are really evil…or at least this one. I really have nothing against Canadians. I stabbed him and locked the door.

I decided to run upstairs. I don't think that was something that would kill him. I ran to my parents' arsenal and loaded a gun with some wooden bullets. If he was a vampire, he wouldn't be able to get in, but if he wasn't the bullets should work. He kicked in the door and entered the house. I guess he's not a vampire.

"I can smell you." He declared. I couldn't help but wonder what I smelled like at the moment. Did I smell good? No, this isn't important. I went downstairs and took a shot at him. It hit him in the leg and I ran outside. He didn't seem fazed by it. As he came out, Stefan ripped his heart out. Thank God for that on this Good Friday. I then went over and gave him a hug. I don't think I could have done that. I then noticed that Tyler had walked out. What was he doing here? Is that why this crazy Canadian guy who I don't even know if he's really Canadian is here? Did Tyler bring him here in that RV in the driveway?

"I didn't know what they wanted with you." Tyler admitted remorsefully. "I just don't want to be like this anymore."

I went over and gave him a hug. It must suck to be a werewolf. I was glad that I didn't have to do it.

"I'm sorry, Taylor." He apologized. I don't think it was really necessary for him to when he didn't know what he was getting into. I wonder if they knew that they would have to sacrifice a werewolf as well. Would they be willing to let one werewolf die so the others wouldn't have to turn?

Anna's POV

I ended up going to the boarding house to see that Elijah was leaving. I went inside to see several dead werewolves on the floor. I thought we would be rid of them after last night.

"What happened here?" I asked only to find out that he was on the phone with Stefan. He looked at me basically telling me to get rid of the bodies. I already to clean up one of his messes. I sighed. I began to work. I guess burning them would be the simplest way to do this. I hate werewolves.

Taylor's POV

Stefan got off the phone and looked at me.

"What did he want?" I inquired.

"Bonnie learned that Elijah is planning for you to die in the sacrifice." Stefan told me.

"Oh my god." I remarked. "I should have listened to the deal that I made with him. He promised to keep my friends and family safe, but he never said anything about me."

"I knew that we shouldn't have trusted him." Stefan declared. I guess he was right.

"What are we going to do about it?" I asked. I don't know if we could kill Elijah and Klaus.

"I can't believe that you made this deal." He berated me. I looked at him, clearly sorry.

"I didn't know any other way to get you out of the tomb. I thought that he wanted to protect me." I declared with tears in my eyes. "I made a mistake, Stefan. I'm sorry."

He just walked away. Maybe I needed to give him some time.

Ashley's POV

Bonnie had taken Luca away, leaving me with Jeremy.

"So this was an interesting day." Jeremy commented.

"Yeah, so what are we going to do about Taylor?" I questioned. There had to be a way to save her. I can't believe I trusted Elijah.

"You know, I think I do want to get married." He announced. What?

So Taylor is not Elena. She doesn't want to die to protect her friends. She also may have an irrational hatred for Canadians (Which applies to Stephen Amell and Nina Dobrev). Also Jeremy may want to marry Ashley. That will be interesting. Please don't forget to review.


	38. The Dinner Party

Taylor's POV

I sat in the cabin reading one of the Jonathan journals while Stefan was outside fishing or something. I was wearing a leather jacket with a black tee and cobalt jeans. This was apparently written after the church fire. I guess it was the sequel to the one that Jeremy had read. You know Jonathan was very vivid in the way that he described the deaths of his friends and himself. Also most people can't write about their own deaths, but most people don't have magic rings. I then read the part where he talked about the vampire that had killed him. It was Stefan. That was something that I didn't expect. I looked back outside. I actually don't think he was fishing. He was just angrily throwing stones. He apparently wasn't interested in my apology. I didn't know what else I could do.

I needed some advice. I took out my phone and called my go-to girl.

"I need your help with something." I stated.

"I need your help too." Ashley replied. "Your brother asked me to marry him for real."

"You mean for real for real?" I asked. I realized how stupid that sounded as soon as it left my mouth. "What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything." She responded. "I didn't know what to say. So what's your problem?"

"Well you've probably heard about the snafu that my deal with Elijah has generated." I remarked. "Basically Stefan is mad at me for making such a foolish deal and might even think that I want to die."

"You need to talk to him." Ashley suggested. "Though, you may also need to find some way to fix it."

"Well, I think that you should tell Jeremy that you want to get through having the baby before you get married." I suggested.

"When are you going to be back?" She asked curiously.

"We'll probably come back tonight because we have school in the morning." I declared. "I guess I'll see you then."

Ashley's POV

Taylor hung up the phone and I looked around the house. I knew that I needed to get dressed. It was Easter, but I don't think that we were going to church. I opened my closet and pulled out a simple white dress. I would need to get some new clothes soon because it was beginning to get difficult to fit some of dresses over my bump.

I really needed to decide what I wanted to do today. Did I want to hang out with Anna or Jeremy? You know Taylor, Anna, and I have basically formed our own trinity like Caroline had with Bonnie and Elena. The only difference was Anna wasn't Bonnie's sister…though they are both minorities. I think I'm going to hang out with Anna. I dialed the Gilbert house.

"Hello?" Jeremy answered. I guess I should have anticipated this when I called the home number rather than her cell number. I knew that I would have to talk to him.

"Hey." I greeted him. "So I've done some thinking and I really think that I want to wait until after the baby is born to figure what we want to do with marriage."

"I guess that's a good idea." Jeremy agreed.

"You know I was actually hoping to talk to Anna at the moment." I admitted. "I don't know why I didn't just call her cell. Is she there?"

"She's actually been trying to avoid Uncle John, so I don't know where she is. It's just me and him right now. Elena and Jenna are giving Elijah a tour of the town's property lines." He replied. "Maybe you should see if she's at the Grill. I was going to head there myself, so maybe we can go together."

"Yeah, I guess we can." I replied.

We went to the Grill. We didn't immediately find Anna, but we did find Bonnie and went over to her. At that moment, Luca walked over looking angry.

"Wanna tell me what happened yesterday?" He questioned.

"I don't know." Bonnie feigned.

"Don't play dumb. You were all here and…" Luca remarked.

"And?" I asked.

"That's all I remember!" He exclaimed. "One minute I'm playing pool and the next I'm waking up in a bathroom stall."

"Everything was normal yesterday." Bonnie replied. "I brought you a coffee and we played pool."

I then noticed Anna coming out of the bathroom. I decided to walk over to her and avoid the Luca drama.

Taylor's POV

I continued to read as Stefan came inside. I hoped that he wasn't still mad at me. We shared some looks before any words were spoken.

"Can we talk?" I asked.

"It depends on what you want to talk about." Stefan replied. I guess that he was still mad at me.

"How many times can I say that I'm sorry?" I asked. "I didn't know that this was going to happen. I never would have made the deal if I knew he wanted me to die. I made a mistake."

"A mistake is an understatement." Stefan replied. "What does Jonathan Gilbert have to say?"

"That you killed him." I replied bluntly. "You didn't tell me that."

"We were mad at the Founding Families for what they did to Ronnie." He explained. "We wanted vengeance. I don't know about his ring. I had no way of knowing that he would come back."

"He made it sound like you were a monster." I told him.

"I was." Stefan admitted as he took a seat in front of me. "I'm willing to divulge my past to you, but it will be best if you hear it from me. When I first became a vampire, I loved it."

He then proceeded to tell me about a very dark episode from his past. It sounded like a scene out of one of Ashley's favorite movies. Apparently in the past, Damon was more like Stefan and Stefan was more like Damon. I can't help but wonder how the roles got reversed, except Stefan sounded kind of needy.

"It sounds like you were Damon." I commented.

"Believe me. I was worse." He stated.

Anna's POV

I noticed Ashley was walking over to me. I hoped that my werewolf problems were finally behind me.

"So are you okay with everything that happened?" She asked me. "I heard that Tyler left town."

"I'd prefer to not have to see another werewolf for at least five years." I told her.

"I thought you'd say the rest of your life." She remarked as we both went towards my table. I bet she was hungry.

"I'm immortal. To not see another werewolf ever again is unrealistic." I pointed out. "So that dress doesn't look like it fits that well."

"I know that I've gained weight and need to do some shopping." Ashley replied in annoyance. "If you want, we can do that right now."

No POV

Damon walked into the tomb with a bottle of blood. Ronnie was basically unconscious due to the lack of blood. He held it up to her mouth and she hungrily gulped it.

"I brought you some clothes. If they're not your taste, that's your problem." He declared. "You know you look a lot better."

"What do you want?" She asked in irritation.

"I wanted to tell you that your friend John is back in town." Damon stated. "It turns out that he knows about Klaus and he told me there's a way to kill an Original."

"Do you wanna know if it's true?" Ronnie asked. "Why should I tell?"

"Why are you so grumpy?" Damon questioned. "Don't you want us to kill Elijah and Klaus?"

"Klaus yes, but definitely not Elijah." She declared. "I have to wait for him to release me from here which he can't do if he's dead."

"That sounds unfortunate." Damon remarked as she began to get changed. She scowled at the fact that he had bought her dresses.

"It's not like you could even kill him in the first place." She added.

"What if I had a special dagger and some white ash?" He inquired.

"Damon if you kill Elijah, I'm stuck in here." She repeated.

"That solves two problems." He noted.

"You should get me out and then I'll help you." The doppelganger bargained. "I'll kill Elijah, I'll protect Taylor. I'll do anything if you just get me out of here."

"If I get you out, you're on the first plane to Tokyo." Damon replied.

"No, I'll stay and help. I promise." She told him.

"So, now I want to thank you. You've told me everything I need to know." He remarked before he left the tomb. "I'm gonna kill Elijah tonight."

Taylor's POV

"I was spiraling for weeks." Stefan continued. I was now looking out the window, partially wondering what the dinner plan was. I was listening, but I was also hungry. "I wanted to hunt, prey, and kill."

He handed me a cup of coffee or tea. It had caffeine in it.

"How did you keep it a secret?" I asked.

"The war was still happening." He answered. Yeah, I guess that would make things easier. He then told me about how he noticed a woman and chased after her. The woman turned out to be Lexi. "Her name was Alexia Branson."

"So you met your best friend by trying to kill her?" I questioned in surprise. "Why was she in Mystic Falls?"

"She heard it was a good place for vampires, but hadn't got word of the massacre." He explained. "She was looking for a place for the night and I offered to let her stay."

I guess it was then that Lexi began her training of Stefan.

"Are you gonna be okay?" I asked him.

"Talking about her makes me miss her." He stated.

"I know how you feel." I responded.

Ashley's POV

Anna took me to the mall so we could get some clothes that would fit me better.

"What do you think of this?" I asked as I pulled out a light pink dress.

"It looks like a nightgown." The vampire remarked. "I think it's also see-through and most people aren't interested in seeing that."

"Well what do you suggest?" I inquired. "It's not like we can just go to the maternity section at Hot Topic."

"They should probably start selling clothes for pregnant girls." Anna opined. Whether they should or not wasn't something helpful. "I know you like skimpy things, but skimpy and pregnant don't really go together."

"What do you think Jeremy and I should name our baby?" I asked.

"I would like it if you named her after my mom, but it's not my decision." She declared. "I also think that you should prepare some male names just in case you do end up having one."

"Pearl sounds a bit old-fashioned." I commented before Anna's phone went off. "What does it say?"

"Jenna's having dinner at the boarding house." Anna answered. "Do you wanna call Jeremy and we can have dinner together?"

I decided to call Jeremy and heard that he was helping Bonnie practice some of her spells.

"Why are you doing that?" I asked.

"I figured that you'd be with Anna for a while so I volunteered to help." He explained. "Don't worry. I'm just being friendly. If you two want to come over we can maybe get some pizza."

"No, that's okay." I responded. "I love you."

"I love you too." He replied before I hung up.

"So do you want to call Caroline?" Anna asked.

"She's probably with Damon, so I guess it's just going to be the two of us." I told her.

Taylor's POV

That night, I was still reading the journals. Stefan came inside after a walk. I still wasn't sure what we having for dinner. I hoped we figured something out soon.

"Jonathan's mind seemed to dwindle as the years went on." I noted. "I think he either had Alzheimer's, or the vampires drove him crazy. Oh my God he researched the Originals. That's incredibly convenient."

"Are you serious?" Stefan asked as he took a seat next to me.

"Yes, it's right here." I said, showing it to him. "There's so much here. The wood from a single tree can kill an Original. When the tree burned, all hope was lost, but we discovered the ash could be used in combination with a silver dagger to neutralize them. Do you think this dagger exists?"

"I know it exists because John gave it Damon." Stefan explained. That was not good. That was really not good.

"So John wants Damon to use it?" I asked. "It must be brandished by humans alone because it will bring death to all demons who wield it."

"John wants to get Damon killed." He summarized. I guess that wasn't that surprising.

He tried calling Damon but to no avail.

"Why is your phone off? I need to talk to you." He declared.

"Was Damon going to kill Elijah?" I asked.

"Yes." He answered simply. "And I can't get reach him to tell him that it will kill him."

"Let me try Alaric." I stated as I began to call my stepfather.

"Hello?" He answered.

"You need to tell Damon that he can't use the dagger on Elijah or he'll die. Only humans can use it."

"Okay, I'll tell him." He promised.

"One more thing…is Caroline there?" I asked.

"Do you want to talk to her?" He inquired.

"No, I just to know if she's there." I responded.

"Yes." He answered before hanging up. That was rude, but I guess saving Damon's life was more important than talking to me."

I went outside on the balcony. I was kind of upset about how everyone had gone behind my back once again.

"Stefan, I know I made a bad decision, but that doesn't mean that you have the right to leave me out of this stuff." I replied. "Maybe I could have structured a new deal that would allow me to live. Besides we only have one dagger and I think would have been better off using it on Klaus. Don't go behind my back, Stefan. I thought that you were someone that I could trust to tell me things. That was the deal that we made. You're supposed to tell me things. The main reason that I made the deal was to get you out of the tomb."

"Well what was your plan?" He challenged. "Were you just going to let him sacrifice you?"

"Maybe I wanted you to turn me." I suggested. 'I don't mean before, but maybe you could give me your blood before the sacrifice and when Klaus kills me, I'll come back as a vampire."

"We need to find a way to stop the sacrifice so you can still be human." He told me. "I want you to have a complete choice to become a vampire and not because you have to. It should be completely up to you."

He then told me how Lexi tried to get him to feel some things.

Ashley's POV

After dinner, we decided to see a movie together. I was kind of jealous that Jeremy was with Bonnie because even though I completely trusted him, I wanted to do these kinds of things with him.

Taylor's POV

I began to read the journal again to see if Jonathan had anything to say about Klaus specifically. I didn't appear like he actually met any of the Originals. That wasn't very useful. I guess dead great grandpas can't be used for everything in the world. The only thing that I could find was if a part that said if an Original is killed any compulsions would disappear.

Stefan came back down a little after I did. He had gotten a call from Damon.

"Well Elijah's dead and Alaric did it." He stated. That meant that Veronica must have gotten out of the tomb.

"I found some more about the dagger." I stated. "Originals believed in honor and forbid vampires from killing vampires so the dagger was made to do it. As long as the dagger stays inside the body, the Original would be incapacitated."

"As long as it stays in?" He asked. Stefan got up to call his brother. Maybe I should have mentioned that part. That led to the information that no, they hadn't left it in him.

"Tell Damon to come here." I ordered.

Damon came by pretty quickly with the dagger.

"You can come in." I invited. "I have a feeling that Elijah will be here shortly.

Anna's POV

After I took Ashley home, I went home myself, hoping that John wasn't there. I found Bonnie crying on the floor. Jeremy was holding her.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Jonas was here and he did something to her." Jeremy explained.

"He took my powers away." The witch responded. Yeah, that wasn't good.

Taylor's POV

"He's here." Stefan said. I went to the door and opened it. I wasn't going to step outside because I wasn't that stupid.

"Let me talk to him alone." I said as I dagger on the end table near the door. "He can't come in."

"But I can knock it down." Elijah remarked. "Or I could wait you out. You'll have to leave eventually."

I slowly walked to the door seeing the unhappy expression on his face.

"They shouldn't have attacked you." I stated. "I wonder if I can apologize."

"The deal is off." He told me.

"How about you just come in and take me?" I suggested. "You're free to do it."

Elijah entered the house and that was when I stabbed him with the dagger. I watched him as he began to turn grey like any other vampire does when they are killed.

"We need to make sure that dagger stays in." Damon commented.

We took him back to the boarding house and put him in the cellar. The only problem is now we had no way to kill Klaus.

"So I hope you guys learned a lesson about doing things without me." I declared. Damon reached into Elena's coat pocket and pulled out the moonstone. "You guys need to be more focused on killing Klaus than saving me and stopping the ritual. I don't want to see you try to dispel that again."

"Okay." Stefan agreed.

"I want him to say it too." I added.

"Fine, we'll do it your way." Damon agreed.

No POV

Late at night, Damon heard the sound of the shower running. He was not sure who it could be.

"Caroline, are you still here?" He asked in confusion as he entered the bathroom.

The curtain opened and he was treated to the nude form of Veronica.

"Ronnie." He stated.

"Original's compulsions wear off when they die." She said. "I knew begging you not to would give you more incentive."

"Why are you here?" Damon questioned.

"Because I told you I would be." She said. "I'm going to help Damon."

To be continued...

Okay, so I realized that is a weird place to stop, but I decided I wanted to break it here. The next story will be out soon and will probably go to the end of Season 3.


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